mayhemuk

I'm in a bind.
I requested an online ID for doing the UK tax return. This came eventually but you have to use it within 28 days to activate. I received it on day 29!
I have since had a notice of no filing. Which I can appeal withing 30 days of the date of the notice. You guessed it. They'd practically elapsed and I have no way of getting a written appeal in on time.

That aside is online filing my only route or do people use other methods.
I have zero UK income so it's all a load of effort for nothing at the end of the day so makes it doubly annoying.

dbj1000

How long have you been out of the UK?

I'm just not clear on why you're filing a UK return at all if you have no UK income, I guess...

mayhemuk

Because 'The Man' says I must!
I arrived here Nov 07 and I've sent in a Form R85 and did a what I thought would be a final return for tax year 07/08 (which had nothing because I'd basically stopped working in the UK)

I can do without a £100 fine plus any other extras they try to throw in.

dbj1000

They're complete arseholes, aren't they? They did the same to me on my second year here, and I ended up being charged the #100 fine. I had to appeal after the event (which I suspect will happen to you too) to get it back. Pointed out, like you just did, that I did everything right, and wasn't living in the UK, and had damned well told them that when I left, and they could f**k off and leave me alone (or words to that effect). Got the #100 back in the end.

rew1000

I agree with dbj1000 that you should be able to tell them to ***** off.

It's been a few years now, but I found that calling my tax office resulted in getting through to a competent person who could sort things out straight away - in contrast to the experience in contacting almost any other organisation with a call centre. This might no longer be the case.

If you get no joy with your tax office, I'd suggest contacting HMRC residency who have been extremely helpful whenever I've had expat tax questions:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/cnr/email.htm

lj2

Re: the fine - they told me that when I file my nil return, the fine will automatically go away as it is limited to the amount of tax due.

Bermudashorts

I had similar situation when I was living in Bermuda, I twice had to apply for the pin code as it had expired before it reached me.

You are also right, if the tax bods say you have to do a tax return then you have to. Income or no income, stupid isn't it. I don't think there is any way to do a paper return at this point for 2007/2008, but perhaps you could write and tell them the situation.

My husband sent his paper return in May last year, they sat on it for over seven months, then sent it him back said he was missing the residency status form and if he did not respond within 7 days he would be fined £100. His was a nil return as well. The letter seemed to do the trick.

richardson

you can download an 07/08 tax return from the HMRC website and mail it to the tax office and if there is no tax liability the £100 penalty will be cancelled if you do not complete a return they raise determinations and then can send the debt on to the country of your residence for collection

mayhemuk

Thanks all. I think downloading the form and sending it is probably the best solution rather than going for the rigmarole of the PIN again.

CHeers