Although you may think tax payments to the HMRC are correct, there is a certain way to deal with them without getting yourself in hot water. If you think that a penalty is wrong or you have made the correct payments, Coleman & Co will support you to avoid further charges.
Coleman & Co offer a range of accountant services, but will always assist massively when it comes to making tax payments and organising your finances. We keep every financial detail of your business to ensure from our end, taxes are never an issue.
Why Are You Complaining?
Firstly, there must be an actual reason why you are complaining about the HMRC, not just the fact you are unhappy about paying taxes – because we all are! There are two separate processes for different types of complaints, if you want to appeal a penalty or decision, this is different to complaints for:
- Unreasonable Delays
- Mistakes
- Poor Treatment
- Serious Misconduct By HMRC Staff
Serious misconduct from the HMRC staff can be assault, corruption, fraud or the unauthorised disclosure of your information. When Coleman & Co deal with the HMRC on your behalf, we will be able to file a complaint form or contact them by phone or post to send in a complaint.
Dealing With A HMRC Mistake
If you do think that the HMRC have made a mistake when dealing with your tax payments, then a separate process must take place. Again, there must be a reason why you are complaining based on the mistakes that have been made, this could be any one of:
- Your Tax Bill e.g. Self-Assessment, Corporation Tax, VAT
- Claims For Tax Relief
- Requesting For Information or To Check Your Business Records
- Penalty e.g. If You Paid Your Tax Late or Filed Your Tax Return Late
If you do not understand how to deal with your tax payments effectively, we would always advise outsourcing this part of your business to professionals. If tax payments are inaccurate and a penalty is given, this can often cost your business more than the original tax, unless you amend the situation before the penalty or fine is given. Although using accountants may initially cost more money, ensuring payments are made correctly will save money in the long-term.
Appealing Against A Decision
When appealing against both a tax decision and a penalty, there are several key points you should include to make sure your appeal is done correctly. You will usually have 30 days to appeal any decisions made by the HMRC. From here it could take a minimum of 45 days for them to deal with your case once again and come to a decision.
Coleman & Co have expert knowledge of taxation and will assist you during tax investigations and appeals. When an appeal is made, we will include several factors in the appeal, including:
- Business Name
- Your Tax Reference Number
- What You Disagree With & Why
- What You Think The Correct Figures Are & How You’ve Calculated Them
- Your Signature
This process can be time consuming for a business owner and having professional help and guidance throughout this time can be beneficial to both you and your business, saving you money on mistakes that could have been made.
Avoiding Penalties
Possibly the best way to deal with the HMRC is to avoid getting penalties altogether and ensure that your tax returns are spot on year upon year. This isn’t always a as simple as it sounds however, as there are several punishments you could receive for incorrect payments. Penalties can be given and appealed for many reasons:
- An Inaccurate Return
- Sending In Your Tax Return Late
- Paying Tax Late
- Failing To Keep Adequate Records
Penalties are usually given when you have been set deadlines to send in tax returns, however you miss this deadline. If the absence of your tax returns reaches up to 3 months, this will immediately result in a £100 fine for your company. If you do file a tax return on time, but values are inaccurate, then based on the severity of mistakes, your penalty could be from 0-100% of the tax that you owe. This might give you a second opportunity to pay the tax without having to pay a penalty.
Coleman & Co always submit tax returns on time to the HMRC and completely accurately, using the correct systems and based on the information our clients give us to do this.
Any information in this blog was taken from www.gov.uk
Contact Us
If you are struggling to deal with your tax returns accurately and on time, using professional will save you time and money and should always be the option for your business to take. For more information about the services we offer, call us today on 028 9266 3599.