P46 tax problem - £600 owed

[caring guy]

When i took a job working for the council i stopped working for the agency on a Friday and started working for the county on the Monday. The agency work was at the same place i was offered a job for the council.

 

The new job was 4 days a week so i remained registered for work with the agency in order to try and get work one day a week. The chance of getting work was unlikley and i never worked for the agency again even though i remained registered, as i am now.

 

When i filled out a P46 for the council i ticked box B "this is now my only job since 6 April i have had another job........"

 

I did not get a P45 from the agency as i remained regsitered for work.

 

I did not tick box C as i did not consider myself to have another job.

 

I then received a letter in Nov last year saying i owed over £600 in tax. This is because HMRC have given me two sets of tax allowance (one at the agency and one at the council). They (HMRC) say they did this as i ticked box B on the P46.

 

I am currently wrting to appeal this decision. Any ideas as to what i can write?

 

Thanks for any help.

[ericsbrother]

HMRC usually screw up with these sorts of things, whether you have a second job or self-employed earnings or a pension, they commonly give a wrong tax code to account for all sources of income. As the mistake is only a year old you cannot get the sum due written off so my advice is to get copies of your end of year tax statement from the agency, same from council and look at the amount of NI and tax paid and look at the tax codes. A normal tax code ends in L, if both of them end in L then there is an error where you have been given 2 personal allowances and they havent collected enough money. If you have paid too little tax then this can be recovered by having your tax code for the year altered to collect the unpaid amount. As it is late in the tax year this would probably best apply from April 2013. Ask for HMRC's calculations and see if the sum they are asking for bears any relationship to what you have earnt and tax paid. Ask them what is your tax code for this year and last year. Sorry, but figures can often give a better idea of your position and you may owe nothing but not possible to tell at the moment.

[caring guy]

Hi:

 

I know that i owe the money as i can see this on my agency / council pay slips.

 

The point is that i feel that as the mistake, in my opinion, was made by either the tax office or my new employer. That being true why should i now have to pay for the error.

[selique1]

I have the same problem with them at present but sadly for a much larger amount.

 

I have been in discussions with the employer and HMRC since March last year and they still are adamant I owe the money.

 

Facts are both of them have made fundamental errors by not informing each other of my employment and not completing P46 etc.

 

to answer you question I have now been advised by HMRC write a complaint letter and mention that you will escalate the mater to the matter to their ombudsman as an appeal.

 

I am now awaiting a response.

 

Perhaps this is what you should do.

 

They have a huge drive on at present trying to reclaim as much Tax as they can and are being very dogmatic at present.

 

If its not your fault then stand your ground. challenge them all the way.