Surrounded by idiots

[Justin Passing]

Late wife's accounts have passed to me, mostly. (A couple of banks want a certified copy of my birth cert, marriage cert, death cert, even though I've had accounts with them for decades. Too busy for those.)
HSBC did the transfers no problem, I thought.
HMRC sent me a cheque, as she'd overpaid, with a one-side statement of how they got the number.
So far, found two mistakes on it.
A couple or four years ago they said she didn't need to fill in a self-declaration.
But they make numbers up, and assume.
They assumed she still had interest, at the same rate, from a fixed-rate account she closed 2 years ago.
And they want to tax dividends which came from shares which were moved into an ISA.

It took half hour calls to HSBC and First Direct which HSBC owns, to track things down.
HSBC "found" another account she had, untouched for several years, I had no idea about. Sheezus. So when I was on to First Direct, I asked them if they could do a search as well. " Oh. they'd all appear on the record. But I can check if you really want me to. They laughed about the one HSBC had "lost".
They found an old account as well. !*&%$!

So later, I'm logged on to HMRC to do my own tax form, late as usual, but I have a few days. It's always a bit of a mission, I'm complicated.

It appears I won't have to pay any tax whatsoever, because, it said,
I'm dead.
Should I tell them?

 

[Brigadier]

It appears I won't have to pay any tax whatsoever, because, it said,
I'm dead.
Should I tell them?

Try it, and see if they accept your communique from the astral plane

 

[motorbiking]

Tax returns get more and more complex every year. I suspect they will fine you for being dead.

They have recently been reducing the number of people who must file a return. Not me as usual.

 

[johnny2007]

I did that and they replied to me.
The letter was very polite and along the lines of "there must've been an administration error and we marked you down as deceased when clearly this is not the case." Then apologies, etc.
They never picked on my "this is a declaration of death, given that you have sent my wife condolences and a final tax bill for me. I am now dead and won't be paying any more taxes".

 

[securespark]

 

[SPLINE]

The government is paying benefits to plenty of dead people.

 

[warey4life]

I used to do a self assessment every year to claim for work mileage. In 2023 HMRC calculed my tax code incorrectly which resulted in me underpaying for a year. I think it was early January 2024 they sent me a letter telling me I didn't need to do a tax return because my circumstances had not changed from the previous year. They sent me a separate letter telling me I had to repay them £900 before the end of January. I phoned to say I didn't have £900 so they agreed I could pay in 6 monthly installments. While on the phone I quized them about not having to fill out a self assessment, I told them my circumstances had changed because my annual work mileage had increased, but they said I'd have to wait until the following year. I told them my tax code was wrong last year and that's why I underpaid, but they accused me of submitting incorrect information. W*nkers.
The only way I could think of dealing with it was to convince my boss to get me a company car. So I sold my own car and now I'll never have to deal with those incompetent tossers again.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Doing the estate for my late Father right now. I feel Justin's pain. Getting info out of banks and other institutions is like pulling teeth and draining time-wise.

Some of them don't want to give info until I've got Letters Of Administration. But unless you give me the info I need I can't properly assess his estate and apply for LOA. Dummkopfs the lot of them!!

 

[morqthana]

Some of them don't want to give info until I've got Letters Of Administration. But unless you give me the info I need I can't properly assess his estate and apply for LOA.

A lesson there for everyone.

Make a will. Name an executor.

R&C - can you find no documentation good enough for you to estimate the value?

 

[Murdochcat]

Tax returns are complicated BUT we as individuals have more accounts than our parents ever did.

After dealing with my disorganised brothers affairs I’ve created a “death file” for us. One sheet for every financial affair or account for each of us, PLUS the same for the house and the cars etc. reviewed before each long holiday.

That’ll make sorting things out for somebody far easier when the time comes

 

[securespark]

Reminds me of this story of mine:

Thread 'WARNING - HMRC Rip-Off'

28 Sep 2015

Now, some people consider that HMRC are rip-off merchant at the best of times.

I had to complete 2 SA tax returns in April, for 12-13 and 13/14.

I was in hospital at the time but nevertheless, got them sent off, with proof of posting: a tracking number and a signature copied from the on-line entry showing date and time signed for.

Now, I got a bill in July for £200. No mention of what it was for.


I assumed it was for tax owed.

So today I got two letters from HMRC, SA302's...

• securespark
• Replies: 7
• Forum: General Discussion

To make things worse, I had an "unpaid tax" letter from one of those tax years crop up a couple of years ago. Argued like hell with them, they were adamant it was outstanding.

I argued that if it was outstanding, how come it had got to 2024 (10 years or more after the tax year being examined) before they came to me asking for the money? They insisted, so I eventually paid up.

I am wiser now. After six years, they cannot insist on payment of unpaid tax (unless fraud is suspected). I should have told them where to go...

They really are beyond incompetent.

 

[motorbiking]

Last year I got my gift aid audited due to a cash payment. At the time I did not file a gift aid declaration for one of my payments. Spent hours on the phone and half a dozen letters to be charged £100ish including about £20 of interest. Added 0.05% to my tax bill for the year.

Its fairly obvious I'm a target.