Having got hit with the £100 late penalty I thought I better crack on and fill in my return online. Unbeknown to me, you have to register with gov.uk before you can complete the assessment. This service is provided by the post office and I had to supply my

passport details
drivers licence details
bank account details

before I was verified.

After completing my self assessment, I thought to myself “why do you have to be verified to fill in your self assessment. I can’t imagine anyone is going to pretend to be you and fill yours in for fun!”

Maybe I am missing the point here. Just seems like a complete waste of money for a system that does not need to be so locked down

Or they could fill it out as you creating a refund paid into their own account, all in your name.

Yep – no need to lock down the tax system.

Every soul in the UK is honest and above board! No one would dream of doing anything underhand.

meh

Or when they discover you’ve “forgotten” to put some earnings in and catch up with you, it’s harder to claim that it was someone else who filled it in and therefore it’s not your fault.

Identity goes both ways – you need to be sure an online service is secure and that people can’t impersonate you, and they need to be sure it’s really you logging in.

Or they could fill it out as you creating a refund paid into their own account, all in your name.

Never thought of that one as I have always owed the b!stards!

and they need to be sure it’s really you logging in.

Thats all well and good, but and this is a big but !

How does he know he is him ?

Are you sure that you are actually you ?

Like you say identity works both ways 😆

If you think it’s hard setting up for self assessment, try stopping it, took about 4 years before they finally got the message with me that I am on PAYE

You get the Govt services that their budget pays for. If you were lucky/unlucky enough to be suffering 40%+ tax rates then the £100 is nowt and you could pay an ‘agent’ to do it for you whilst you grumble about the tax rates.

i had a very nice email today reminding me to get my tax sorted as the deadline is 31st of jan 2016..

ps also got a 47 quid refund when i logged in.. if i come across the lottery nos i ll let you know..

deepreddave – Member

You get the Govt services that their budget pays for. If you were lucky/unlucky enough to be suffering 40%+ tax rates then the £100 is nowt and you could pay an ‘agent’ to do it for you whilst you grumble about the tax rates.

What if the person does not suffer 40% tax rates as a new start up because s/he uses his/her own hard earn money to run the business?

Do you think you should hammer the person because s/he is running a business or do you think everyone should work in the govt dept?

😈

US IRS losing $21 BILLION to reclaim fraud annually.

I was absolutely gobsmacked by how weak the US system is. Ludicrously easy to defraud.

$21 BILLION. 😯 😯 😯 😯

There’s also some possibility that someone could log in as you and make a return in respect of your GBP200,000 of rental income. Getting HMRC off your back any time in the next decade would take a large amount of your time and energy…