Want to complain about HMRC?
Taxpayers may find themselves in a position where they need to make a complaint about HMRC’s service. Complaints can relate to many different issues such as unreasonable delays, mistakes and poor treatment by HMRC’s staff. Note, there is a separate procedure to be followed by taxpayers that disagree with a decision of HMRC or that wish to complain about serious misconduct by HMRC staff.
Taxpayers that wish to make a complaint should in the first instance write or speak to the person or office
VAT register inactivity
HMRC’s published guidance titled ‘Check genuine HMRC contact that uses more than one communication method’ has been updated. The list is intended to help taxpayers check if recent contacts purporting to be from HMRC are actually a scam.
The guidance contains a list of emails, phone calls, letters and text messages recently issued by HMRC that are genuine. The list can be useful to help taxpayers decide if a contact is genuine or from a fraudster trying to trick taxpayers into supplying
SEISS claims deadline in a few days
The final deadline for making a claim under the 5th Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) is 30 September 2021. The SEIS scheme is only open to those self-employed with annual profits of less than £50,000 and who receive at least half their income from self-employment.
Self-employed persons whose turnover has fallen by more than 30% will qualify for an 80% grant, capped at £7,500. Those with decreases in turnover of less than 30% are restricted to a 30% claim, capped at £2,850. When
Government announces winter COVID plan
The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson has set out the government’s autumn and winter plan for managing Covid.
The government is aiming to sustain the progress made and prepare the country for future challenges, while ensuring the National Health Service (NHS) does not come under unsustainable pressure.
The government plans to achieve this by:
Building our defences through pharmaceutical interventions: vaccines, antivirals and disease modifying therapeutics.
Identifying and isolating positive
New timetable for import controls
There are special procedures for importing goods into the UK. Following the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020, the process for importing goods from the EU effectively mirrors the process for all other international destinations.
On 14 September 2021, a revised timetable for the introduction of full import controls was published by government.
A number of easements had been put in place to help ensure a smooth transition for goods coming from the EU. This included a delay
Student tax scam warning
HMRC is warning new students starting university that they could be targeted by scammers trying to steal their money and personal details. As new students start the academic year, they can be particularly vulnerable to tax scams. This is especially prevalent if they have a part-time job and are new to interacting with HMRC. This year, there is a significant increase in the numbers of students attending university and means that more young people may choose to take on part-time work.
Many tax