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wellie · #1 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 08:54 PM

Trousers has tried all of this evening, since arriving home kna****ed, to try and get to the bottom of why he is, yet again, having to pay 30% tax on his earnings. He has had numerous letters and conversations with various tax offices and call-centres, and never once yet been successful enough to be put through to a Line Manager, because they're unavailable or just gone off duty.....

He is THAT mad, that he's asked me to ask you gorgeous peeps, if any of you know how to actually COMPLAIN in the correct manner to The Inland Revenue, (believe me, he's tried!) in order to get this huge problem at least RECOGNISED, let alone sorted out!

To one tax office, his 'details' are perfectly fine, to another they are unrecognisable. His National Insurance Number differs from one department to the next, and evidently, the CIS and Inland Revenue, though they are affiliated, do not sing from the same Hymn Sheet.

His details are now in a part of the country that bears no relevance to our lives, and I don't mind telling you, that there is steam coming out of his ears now.

Honestly, this is a serious thread. Has anybody got any idea what he can do to just pure and simply lodge a huge complaint to the Inland Revenue to try and get this cr*p sorted? as none of the very lovely operatives will.
Thank you.

sewer rat · #2 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 09:13 PM

Hi Wellie
Sorry to hear about the problems that Trousers is having with the Revenue - but not at all surprised - I used to work for Customs and we never liked working with the IR as they always struck me and ma boys as being unprofessional. The recent merger of the two Departments hasn't helped - I know a lot of Cussies who are well hacked off.
Anyway - to your point.
There are various levels at which you can complain.
You can submit a formal complaint or appeal against a decision to your tax office.
Further to that you can submit your complaint via the Adjudicators Office.
Top of the pile is the Ombudsman - suggest you contact your local MP before embarking on the last one - in fact if you can get your local MP to investigate, or even get one of his / her underlings to investigate by setting up what is known as an MP'S File, you might be surprised how quickly the matter is dealt with - I've seen MP's files come into an office and everything is dropped to get them dealt with.
It would obviously be to Trouser's advantage if he has noted times and dates of calls, letters sent, persons spoken to etc, but not 100% necessary, though for future reference........
I know you probably have done so already but have a look at HMRC's website - type "COMPLAINTS" into the search tool and see what you think is your most appropriate course of action given what you have tried already.
Good luck - and tell Trousers to calm down, have a drink or seven and start afresh on Monday !

wellie · #3 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 09:56 PM

Rat,

Thank you for your constructive and welcomed reply!! I have poured him a few large Grice (plural for Grouse?) on the Rocks, and there's a little less steam evident for the minute, thankfully....

The only course 'untried yet' to him, is the MP direction, and he'll get onto that tomorrow..... when I shall be dead busy in my kitchen, and, with him having more energy and less steam, he can talk for himself I'm rather hoping.
Really.... Thank you.
X

SarzWix · #4 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 10:42 PM

Wellie, My Dad has had numerous (and still ongoing) problems with 'the Taxman' over the years, and although I can't offer any help, just wanted to send Trousers & yourself some 'good vibes' across the ether. Really hope you can get somewhere with the...the...the nasty, self-important, money grabbing, weasels. Oh, and tell Trousers to try & hang onto his temper - my Dad's not very good at that, & I think it may have made things worse!?!

cyanara · #5 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 10:46 PM

There used to be a bloke called Gordon.... something... but I hear he's move on to another post within the same company.. not sure if it was a sideways step, a promotion or a demotion but i have his address somewhere... no. 10 something.. it'll come back to me.. at some point i'm sure.

JanieB · #6 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:03 PM

After my OH died I had major problems with IR. They all seemed to have different views on my tax. I ended up photocopying everything and sending a copy of each to all the tax offices involved with a letter suggesting they talk to each other.

wellie · #7 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:15 PM

Sarah, thank you. I'm a huge believer too, which is why I was so delighted to answer the phone to Piglet this evening, who phoned out of the blue.
A blokey conversation with Piggy, a nice plate of Paul Rankin Irish Pork'n'Herb Sausages, Mash, home-grown Peas, a splash of onion gravy.... a few glasses of whisky on the rocks, and he's now tucked up in bed, snoring his socks off. Boy do I love that bloke!
And the thing is, I know JUST where he's coming from...
I only ever see this in him when he's been completely 'pushed to the limit'.
And we all know THAT feeling I suspect.....
Cyanara: Golden Brown? Texture like sun?! Know where you're coming from! X

wellie · #8 (**permalink**) 07-12-2007, 11:37 PM

JanieB, thank you, and that's clearly the problem.... they just don't talk to each other. Not at all.....
I'm so sorry you needed to deal with that kind of a problem with the sad loss that you'd suffered, which makes it just so much more unbearable.
I'm so sorry for your loss.

TonyF · #9 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 07:31 AM

It's taken OH and I 3 years to sort our tax out - we had 7 tax offices in the UK and one in France.

After managing to get all the records in the Overseas Dept. we finally had confirmation letters over the past two weeks that all is sorted - and the even better news is that as French tax payers we pay about 50% of what we paid in the UK.

Noty what you wanted to hear Wellie, but just keep on at them, it's the only thing to do and take it to their mediation service.

SueA · #10 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 04:41 PM

Wellie, just tell trousers to sign all his letters/emails to them as Lord 'Trousers' & they'll soon sit up & take notice. For some strange reasons my grandparents gave my dad the first name of 'Lord' (they were in Ireland, maybe it's O.K. to do that over there?) & it came in useful sometimes, he was also a retired army captain so Captain Lord... came in very handy! On the other hand they might think he was worth a bob or two & try to get more money out of him so it might backfire!

Farmer_Gyles · #11 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 04:59 PM

i've had my share of troubles with the inland revenue over the years - nightmare considering i'm self-employed and a single parent - i employed an accountant who was absolutely useless and everything went for horrible to complete nightmare

i ended up taking all my paperwork into the local inland revenue office and sitting there with them while they sorted their records out - total of 9 whole days plus several half days, not to mention the countless hours on the phone or writing letters

it's difficult enough building and running a business when you're a single parent - time is very tight - last thing i needed was the inland revenue messing up .....

NOG · #12 (**permalink**) 08-12-2007, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wellie

to be put through to a Line Manager,

To one tax office, his 'details' are perfectly fine, to another they are unrecognisable. His National Insurance Number differs from one department to the next,

His details are now in a part of the country that bears no relevance to our lives,

Oh a few points here.

1. You have one NINO (National Insurance No) all your records are recoreded by this. If he has two (and it can happen...but more lightily to a woman than a man) that is the root of the problem. The NINO will be in the NN123456B format if the has a TN*****M NINO and the ****** is his date of birth, at some point in his life he has gone to a new job and they have not used his correct NINO. If he is using two NINOs he needs to get that sorted first.

2. You shoulld only be dealing with ONE tax office, If you are dealing with more than one the think you are two people. If he is using two offices get one to ask for the papers and You then tell the other that the first wants them and tey to get names of both case officers and phoen them and give them each others names.

3. Your Tax office will be miles away.....If you work in London it will be Belfast or Glasgow. A lot of Surrey is Manchester. This is to stop your neghbour working in the local offfice seeing your details.

4. By CIS I thake it that you mean New Construction Industry Scheme (New CIS) Have a look here:- HM Revenue & Customs:New Construction Industry Scheme (New CIS)

5. You don't need to speak to a line manager the officer that answers the phone should know the case better.

There are other points but without knowing more details it is hard to say.

But ALWAYS use the simple helpful country boy appeocah "oh I am sorry my case is causing you a problem" "i hope dealing with mycase dosent give you a bad day".......It will work wonders....these people get shouted at morning noon and night.

Also they the CAB Citizens Advice Bureau
Citizens Advice corporate website - Home
Hope it helps.

trousers · #13 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 05:31 PM

thanks for your comments, i shall be back in touch with all the tax offices and the cis peeps and soon i hope iwill end up paying my normal tax , but dont hold your breath.

Alison · #14 (**permalink**) 09-12-2007, 05:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NOG

3. Your Tax office will be miles away.....If you work in London it will be Belfast or Glasgow. A lot of Surrey is Manchester. This is to stop your neghbour working in the local offfice seeing your details.

I always thought that your tax office tended to be in the same place as the head office of your company - always seems to be for me, used to work for a company in Scotland, tax office = Glasgow, likewise now down south so tax office down there. Don't know how this fits with anybody who is self employed and if there is any relevance to this thread but there you go

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