Help with tax problems

Tax problems can strike businesses of all sizes. If you find that you are struggling to meet your business tax demands, you’ll need to take the right steps to ensure that your business can continue without the threat of bailiffs.

It may be easiest to just ignore the problems and hope they’ll go away, but this is never the case; problems will only get worse the longer you ignore them. If you have any queries with the level of tax demands issued by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) then you should contact them immediately, as mistakes can be made, and you should ensure you are paying the correct amount.

Incorrect Tax Amounts

It’s a good idea to check the data on your tax returns to ensure that you’re paying the right amount. If you have declared your income as higher than it actually is, you’ll end up paying more tax than necessary.

Also, make sure that you haven’t used provisional figures in your return as you will be taxed on this information. You will need to provide actual amounts to be charged the right amount.

If you sent your tax return is late, you may have incurred fines or surcharges as a penalty. You can find these charges on your Statement of Account.

Correct Tax Amount – Still Can’t Pay

If you find that your tax bill is correct, but you still can’t pay, you should get in touch with the HMRC Tax Office that sent the payment request. HMRC also has a self-assessment helpline available for those who need further help.

If you fail to pay the bill, HMRC will phone you to request payment. If you continue to ignore the HMRC’s communication attempts, they may choose to take legal action to recover the money.

You can request a new payment arrangement that will allow you to pay off your tax debt with HMRC, as HMRC look at each case individually.

Under normal circumstances:

• You will need to pay the full debt in a lump sum immediately if you can.
• If you are unable to pay the full amount straight away, you may be offered the chance to pay in installments or in a lump sum at a later date.
• Ignoring the problem or failing to make a payment arrangement will result in legal action being taken against you.