HMRC

[Jeffers]

I have been sent a letter from HMRC saying l owe VAT from 10/04. I thought l had previously had this written off as l was ejected from the pub it related to and the landlord seized all my stock and F&F which amounted to over £4K. The VAT on the stock had been paid but not claimed and the value of the F & F assesed and set against the rent l owed. Thus l would have been able to claim the VAT back on the £4k which would have balanced out my debt.

[TUTTSI]

Re: HMRC

Is 10/04 October 2004 VAT return?
Did you write to them at the time explaining the situation?

If you have not done so this debt is now over 6 years old and not sure on Revenue debts It might be worth checking out about statute barred debts as long as you have not in last 6 years acknowledged this debt.

I have been sent a letter from HMRC saying l owe VAT from 10/04. I thought l had previously had this written off as l was ejected from the pub it related to and the landlord seized all my stock and F&F which amounted to over £4K. The VAT on the stock had been paid but not claimed and the value of the F & F assesed and set against the rent l owed. Thus l would have been able to claim the VAT back on the £4k which would have balanced out my debt.

[pompeyfaith]

Re: HMRC

Tuttsi,

I'm pretty sure that HMRC debts never become state barred could be wrong but that is what I have always been lead to believe.

[Caspar]

Re: HMRC

I'm going mad. I was researching this a while back then never posted back. They definitely don't become statute barred after 6 years. I was reading something about 21 years when I got a phone call. Will go and see if I can find what I was reading. It was on the HMRC website!


Found the right bit - they can go back 20 years!

[The Debt Star]

Re: HMRC

there's interest to be worried about as well.

[andrew1]

Re: HMRC

HMRC are on a mission, I received a letter today saying I underpaid by £800 back in Dec 2005 - I came out of the VAT scheme in 2009 and the company's been dormant since, this is Government telling the staff to collect all these loose ends.

I can't remember leaving the VAT man unpaid, they'd never leave it this long. As I no longer use the business or have a business bank account I've asked them what they want to do about it - tick tock.

[WendyB]

Re: HMRC

Write to them asking for the details of the underpayment and a copy of the Assessment, not just the figures but the calculations. If you were a Sole Trader then it won't matter whether or not you are no longer in business, or whether or not you have a business bank account; as a sole trader you are liable for the debts of the business as there is no limited liability.

[andrew1]

Re: HMRC

Thanks, but my one was Ltd Company - sits there with no money, no trading, no bank account anymore - if they press for it I'll close the company, I just kept it for the sentiment and the reomte possibility I might do something again in the future. Bit of luck they'll just write it off, but as far as I was concerned I had all my returns and payments totally in order. I do not have the time or inclination to have to go back to 2005 to reconcile and dig out all those invoices etc from the garage boxes. Where they get this from I know not, but we'll see.

[highlandspring]

Re: HMRC

If the only creditor is HMRC they will not wind the company up - but they may try to seek to make you personally responsible for the debt.

[andrew1]

Re: HMRC

Not heard a word since, but if they do then I guess I'll have to pay it, but I'm loathed to pay for something if I don't owe it. I'm sure there's bigger fish to fry than me if that's what I owe, but it all adds up in these days of austerity for the government coffers.

At least with these HMRC people you don't get their lies like you do independant banks and finance companies - they're not even politicians thank god. I've had nothing but good relations with HMRC and can't fault the people I've ever dealt with. Although the revenue did an 18 month investigation into my business once which nearly caused me a breakdown - I ended up with a refund as a result, but 2 people in my office going through everything over a 6 yr period from the revenue was not a healthy way to run my business and it was all because a lot of cash went through the business and I had 120 employees - they couldn't believe I didn't have some foreign account or some scam going on and I didn't - clean as a whistle - I could have gladly murdered someone at that time they were so oppressive. So my recent love affair is somewhat a new one. They seem to be a lot more 'user friendly' these days although I'm sure some of you out there would confirm different.