September Question & Answer Section

Q. I received my self-assessment statement and payslip on 17 August 2011, which shows tax due to be paid by 31 July 2011. I paid the tax due as soon as I could, but I am now worried that I will get charged interest and a penalty for late payment.

A. The late issuing of these statements was due to a lack of paper at HMRC's printers! As the delay was essentially their fault HMRC has decided to waive the interest due, as long as the tax payment is received by 27 September 2011. However, this interest free period only applies to the second payment on account of income tax for 2010/11, due by 31 July 2011. Any other late tax payments, such as tax due by 31 January 2011 will accrue interest as normal.

Q. My son worked for a company that has gone into liquidation. The Tax Office are refusing to acknowledge the student loan repayments which were deducted from his salary in 2010/11 and pass those repayments on to the Student Loans Company. What can he do to get his student loan records corrected?

A. This can happen when the company folds before submitting its end of year PAYE return: form P35. This form shows the totals for all the deductions taken from each employee during the year. Your son needs to provide HMRC with any evidence he has of the student loan repayment deductions, such as original payslips or his form P60 for the tax year. HMRC should then pass this information onto the Student Loans Company who will correct his payment record.

Q. I recently applied for VAT registration for my business as the turnover had exceeded the compulsory registration threshold. Now I've had a call from the VAT office asking to come and see me. What have I done wrong?

A. A visit to a newly registered business is now normal practice for VAT officers, particularly where the first VAT return shows a repayment due. The VAT inspectors will want to see the invoices for your first VAT period, and be assured that you know how to keep adequate business records. We can sit in on the VAT visit to provide back-up for any difficult questions if you wish.