On Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:36:08 +0000, Peter Saxton
wrote:

My response was as follows:

"This is NOT an acceptable way of dealing with the problem

Neither do I.

If HMRC think the notices are likely to be wrong they should issue a
covering letter explaining the situation in detail. This should ask
taxpayers to review the notices and give the phone number of a
helpline to report any errors.

Well, in my case the timeline went roughly like this: Post arrived
earlier than usual (10:30) and this being a Saturday I was still in my
dressing gown eating my cornflakes. Amongst the other delights from
double-glazing companies, two letters from HMRC. Oh, I thought. How
nice of them to follow up last week's tax refund cheque with a couple
of congratulatory letters (you know, the ones where they say "We are
pleased to inform you....yada yada yada"). Imagine my consternation,
then, to open the letters to find revised tax coding notices that
suddenly gave the government 20% of my income when my income comes
nowhere near my personal allowance!

Up the stairs to where I keep my files, out with the "HMRC" one and
straight on to the phone. I was a bit surprised that they actually
were at work on a Saturday, but I expect with the huge numbers of
dissatisfied customers if they didn't open on Sats they'd have to do
massives of overtime during the week.

Anyway, pause for ten minutes to allow the recorded dolly to run
through all the options, then finally I get to speak to a Real Person,
who, luckily, actually appeared to be human (often they are not; often
they have a very strong accent which makes you wonder whether you
didn't dial the double-glazing company by mistake).

Five minutes later and it was all sorted. I didn't tell the lady that
I was ringing from my dressing gown, as I don't need the Thought
Police around here anytime soon on charges of sexual harassment. But
it ruined my morning as I thought of the bods who write this software
and cavalierly demand 20% here, there and everywhere.

Taxpayers think that anything from HMRC
must be correct and any error must be down to themselves or their
accountant. The notices don't admit the problems and I feel this is
unacceptable. It causes distress and worry to taxpayers and
demonstrates HMRCs cavalier attitude to taxpayers and agents."

Distress, worry, and ANGER! I am still annoyed that the normal course
of my Saturday morning was disturbed by a bunch of incompetents at
HMRC Towers. It's only because I keep *detailed* accounts and have
done so for at least 20 years that I was confident that they'd got it
wrong. I firmly believe the HMRC just try it on, knowing that many
thousands of taxpayers (not me, of course) do not have a clue about
their personal finances and thus do not have a leg to stand on. It's
almost like extortion, really.

MM