I've just been on the phone to the HMRC since I received this morning
two revised tax notices for 6th April 2009 to 5th April 2010. These
new codes meant that I would have to pay 20% of tax on my private
pensions, but, as I pointed out to the HMRC, I do not receive income
in total that is more than my personal allowance (by far). My details
haven't changed in three years, either, yet the HMRC computer still
issued these revised tax codes to give it, wrongly, the benefit of 20%
tax.

The assistant checked my details through the computer and changed the
tax codes again,so that I no longer pay tax on these pensions, as has
been the case since 2006. When I asked the assistant how these errors
had occurred, she simply said, umming and ahhing, well, the computer
is supposed to calculate the codes automatically, but somehow it
failed this time.

Really ****es me off that they can get such a fundamental thing wrong.
Still, I suppose it's good that they work on Saturdays.

MM