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rushal
Rank; Hector Tax Inspector
United Kingdom
2 Posts |
 Posted - 18/10/2008 : 22:34:46
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Hi all,
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Came home today to find a brown envelope from that great place called 'HM Revenue & Customs'. The letter starts by saying 'We have already told you about the overpayment of tax credits detailed above'. Oh really, and when exactly was I informed of these overpayments, bearing in mind this is the first I have had regarding this, and I particularly like the detailed explanation of the overpayment they show on the letter: 'Tax Credit Overpayment £2144.31'. Where exactly are the details for this supposed overpayment other than I owe it?
I’m also rather fond of the line at the top of the letter 'Notice Warning of Legal Proceedings' Ohhhh, im scared!
I’m also rather fond of the line 'Section 29(3) of the Tax Credits Act 2002 applies to the overpayment which means you must pay back £2144.31 without delay'  zzzzzzzzzzzz. Sorry Mr. Revenue & Customs, I'll take my time in repaying (if i end up repaying) to keep in line with all the other government departments who like to take there time in sorting, dealing and sending money owed to your poor poor victims.
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Ok, this post maybe taking the **** a little, but after reading so many horror stories on the information Highway, I thought I'd join the run away train.
A little about my situation will help. Back in 2002 I split with my then Husband (he left to live with someone else) and I was left to bring up our child (aged 14) by myself. So in 2003 I did the right thing which the government keeps telling us to do, and applied for Tax credits as the Job I was in was low paid. I was awarded the Tax credits and was duly paid as per the details they sent me (quite how they worked it out is beyond me) but being a government department you take things they say as gospel. Yeah, right now im being threatened with legal proceedings for something I haven't done? I started a new job in 2004 and wrote to HMRC explaining this and that I won't be renewing my Tax Credit application. So the payments stopped and I thought nothing of it, until today that is. Now apparently I owe them HOW MUCH £2144.31. HOW! I gave them all the info they needed, they worked everything out, they told me how much I was entitled too, so how come I now owe them.
How they quite expect someone to pay back that amount when we are in a credit crunch, my car tax doubles next year, petrol is sky high, increases in utility bills and there’s one thing for sure, the council tax will be going up in a couple of months, I've no idea! Its ok though, as I've just worked out I have a disposable income of exactly £0.93 per month, so divide £2144.31 by £0.93 and see how long it takes to pay this debt off  !
So peeps, as im not going to sleep for a good few months thanks to MR HMRC, where do I go from here. How do I go about requesting the details they hold about me and my claim? What if I can't provide any evidence to back anything up (as in I don't have copies of letters, telephone calls etc etc) made at the time of the claim. It appears that we can't rely on MR HMRC to come up with the true facts, so what chance do we have here?
Any help would be gratefully received and I'll be posting back here as things progress, so everyone can follow my journey to hell and back (hopefully I'll still be here to tell the story)!
Cheers
Jae
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auntieh
Rank; Really should become a politician
United Kingdom
619 Posts |
Posted - 19/10/2008 : 22:18:42
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Hi Jae
Sorry to hear your all too familiar story. You need to get a dispute in quickly to stop recovery and possible court action. Go the main website www.taxcc.org and follow the relevant links for disputing, requesting your data and stopping recovery/court action. Make sure you have advised TCO in writing that you intend to dispute this overpayment. Send the letter recorded delivery. Get your MP involved. You can write to him/her, email or go along to their surgery. All MPs have them. You can find out details of your MP on www.theyworkforyou.com. Don't agree to pay anything at this stage.
Good luck
Auntie
"You can dress a pig in a suit but you can't stop it grunting" |
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Rachel01
Rank; Hector Tax Inspector
United Kingdom
40 Posts |
Posted - 20/10/2008 : 20:03:40
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Write to HMRC's very own Data protection Unit, Request copies of everything in your files, that will catch those HMRC b@stards out, Ring your local MP and book an appointment to see him/her about your tax credits situation, And Ring Tax Credits and Request a dispute pack.
I had a similar situation to yours but it was a temporary split, we notified them when we got back together, and even sent off a new joint claim, we have six children and have had £7,300 demanded from us. TAX CREDITS SUCK
R.A. stirling |
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splashin
Rank; Undercover HMRC Spy
Belize
446 Posts |
Posted - 20/10/2008 : 21:24:59
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Hi Rushal
Can you remember completing an annual declaration for the 2003/2004 tax year? If you did then you must request your SAR documentation to find out where this overpayment arose. If you never then this is the reason they are now demanding back this money. To claim tax credits, you must submit an annual declaration for the previous tax year complete with income details and signatures. Is the overpayment from 2003/2004?
 
Splashin |
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rushal
Rank; Hector Tax Inspector
United Kingdom
2 Posts |
Posted - 21/10/2008 : 23:23:26
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Hi,
Thanks for the comments.
Splashin:
You could be right there, as I don't remember filling in the annual declaration. Although in my defence I don't even remember anyone telling me I had too (it was probably in the small print somewhere, but I didn't understand any of it)? I enquired about tax credits (by phone), was sent a form and asked to fill it in and send it back. Next thing I knew about it was when money started appearing im my bank account so I assumed I was entitled to it.
I had no communication what so ever regarding this until the day I sent them a letter stating when I left one job and started another on double the pay.
I received a letter to renew the tax credits at one point, but ignored it as I didn't want to claim it anymore.
Next thing I know, 5 years later and I now owe them this overpayment, arrgggghhh!!!
Jae |
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Thought I'd join the bandwagon
