Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

Hello,

I downloaded form NI38 and filled in pages 37 to 38.
Will be paying class 3 and have a backlog of around 7000 pounds
sterling.

Now i sent all this via recorded delivery for 5 euros and on 26
January i could tell by tracking that the letter arrived .

I phoned the hmrc about a week later to give them time to process.
Turns out the letter is not in the system. They told me it takes
10 working days for the letter to show on their system. I gave
them the benefit of the doubt and waited another week.

Rang hmrc again and behold, it was not showing on the system.
So i find myself in a futile situation. All i want to know is if they
have my letter.

The only correspondence the hmrc excepts is through the old in the tooth
analogue letter.

All i can say is its damn frustrating in this day and age with gmail etc...

Just wondered if anyone here has gone through the same.

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

A week?
A WEEK?

I once got a refusal letter from HMRC two YEARS after I'd applied...

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

Give them time

Phoning can succeed

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

Yes.
VAT office in Wolverhampton. Assembled a bunch of papers, "can only post them", they admitted losing it. Hope they find yours. At least you could re-send an email! Why?

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

I did the N138 last year. It took them on average about 12 weeks to reply to a letter. I suppose they are understaffed and overwhelmed.

If you know the letter has arrived just relax and be patient.

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

I have had some delays to, but in the end everything worked out. The ability to pay catch-up contributions is enough of a benefit I don't worry about correspondence delays.

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

Many thanks for all the replies. I guess patience is the key.

Thanks again.

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

I made a back payment and received a confirmation letter with a couple of weeks. However it takes time for the payment to show up in their online system so it does take patience.

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

Evidently payments need to be posted specifically to an account- I found this out when I called about a payment, and on the phone they indicated they needed to apply it to my account though they had received the payment two months before.

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

Yes the payment I made (and they confirmed) last August still fails to show on an online pension quote. Assume it all updates at end of UK tax year.

Re: Paying voluntary contributions abroad ?
 

exactly, but if you talk to someone they can correct that in a few days- it is almost as if they post the payment to a "reconciling account" , and the physically make an entry applying it.