Trying to contact them to update my company car details so I pay the correct (increased tax). First call, 5 minutes answering automated questions, being told it’s easier to do it online and then getting a message saying they are very busy, can’t answer my call, followed by an abrupt automated ‘Goodbye’ and the line goes dead.

Ok I’ll do it online, I registered and self assessed on line should no problem. No all the hoops I jumped through to register for self assessment (and that took weeks) don’t count, I’ve got to setup yet another online account. Ok type in all the details, passport, driving licence inside leg etc. Final piece of verification they need a bank account number, rejected, try again, rejected, try other bank account, same result. Enter into web chat, can you try a different account, tried both, what about an old account, had both I’ve tried for over 15 years. Better off contacting HMRC directly, we can’t help. Already tried that.

So ring HMRC again, answer the questions again, this time I’m in a queue, great I might get through this time, that was 25 minutes ago…….If I give up now does that constitute tax evasion?

It’ll only get worse now Cameron can cut what he likes.

HMRC are absolutely appalling – a state within a state. They have sent me a bill for something I’m not liable for, but getting it sorted is a nightmare. If I call I find like you that I’m on hold for a minimum of half an hour. When I have reached someone, they’ve told me my case will be looked into, but they just send out more bills. I’ve filled in forms and sent letters. Nothing. And all the time the interest charges on the disputed amount rack up. No wonder people distrust the taxman. For all we know HSBC rang them to tell them about tax evaders and are still waiting for an answer !!

And another thing – I can’t log on with the stupid Government Gateway thing, so I requested a new password. But they can’t email it to me because they don’t have my email address. Which is strange, because when I log on with digidentity, I can see my email address in my HMRC personal details right there in front of my eyes. But, as the horribly rude person on their “technical help” line told me – that is because it’s “a different system”. Absolute shambles.

Send them a letter by registered delivery.

Try the overseas number. I’ve got through in under 5 minutes on that before now.

HMRC – far and away the most incompetent organisation in the known universe.

6 years after I wound my design agency up they still send me my estimated VAT bill every quarter. Cue endless phone calls (sat on hold for an eternity), emails, letters. And the next quarter I get to do it all again.

After years of this crap, I’ve learnt to just write them letters, sent recorded delivery

Its no bloody wonder that all these corporations regard tax as optional. Catching tax evaders? They couldn’t catch a ****ing cold!!

Why bother, let you company do it through your p11d – that way they’ll not change the tax code until next year.

Or maybe due to the online-PAYE it’ll go through automatically before then?

Well I got through eventually, 47 minutes, in the meantime I actually managed to set up a digidentity with a different verification company. Just as I was filling in the details I finally got through.

br, it had crossed my mind but it’ll just mean a bigger bill at the end of the year in one hit. I’ve already been stung with the car tax changes from 2014 to 2015, extra £60 a month for the same car, new car will cost even more but I knew that before signing up and it still works out better value than a car allowance which the government taxes into oblivion.

Its no bloody wonder that all these corporations regard tax as optional. Catching tax evaders? They couldn’t catch a ****ing cold!!

Binners, probably just couldn’t get through, easier to set up an office in a tax haven. Hell they make it as difficult as possible for someone trying to pay their tax. I’ve just got this image of the Google FCO with a huge sack of cash staring at the phone that’s just been disconnected muttering I just want to know where to send it!

It’ll only get worse now Cameron can cut what he likes.

Meh, the government (with some help from my wife) has made SA easier and people will start to be removed from it and an increasing amount of it will be automated. As things get rolled out you will be able to do more and more online. In this case the cuts will probably make things easier for the average SA person. It was one of those big failed IT projects you hear so much about (Except when they work and then no one in the opposition or press mentions them at all).

Having said that I have had some tax issues this year. My agent died and failed to submit my tax return. First I knew about this was last month when the business contacted me asking me why I hadn’t paid them. Then shortly followed by a fine from HMRC. Anyway I have spent about 30 minutes on the phone to HMRC this week and close to 2.5hours on hold listening to the same 2 tunes.

Top (secret) tip*. Staff arrive before 8am and are often at their desks from about 7:50. Earlier is normally easier to get through – you can often get through best just before 8.

*From the guy at HMRC who I chatted to.

My agent died and failed to submit my tax return.

The selfish bstard 🙂