Paying tax without a reference number
HMRC’s administration is suffering significant backlogs, including the issuing of new unique taxpayer reference (UTR) numbers. As the payment deadline for 2021 is fast approaching, how can a payment be made if the UTR hasn’t been issued?
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Government launches consultation package on HMRC powers and tax administration
The government has launched a wide-ranging package of consultations on tax administration, including proposals to strengthen HMRC's debt recovery powers, modernise tax agent regulation and expand the use of digital services. Several of the measures could have significant implications for taxpayers and advisers. What has been proposed?
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What are HMRC’s new procedures for export evidence?
HMRC has updated its guidance about the proof of export you must retain if you ship goods abroad and zero-rate the sales. How will the new guidance affect your business?
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Getting out of the child benefit tax trap
You expect to earn over £60,000 for this tax year which means you may have to pay back some or all of your family’s child benefit due to the high income child benefit charge (HICBC). Is it possible to reduce the charge?
The pandemic meant that many of HMRC’s staff were reallocated, which has had a knock-on effect on various departments. One area that has been affected is the processing of the SA1 form, meaning that many taxpayers are struggling to obtain a unique taxpayer reference (UTR) number, which is required to submit the tax return and to make the payment of tax. The UTR is used as the reference for the payment of the tax liability, and is used by HMRC to match the payment to the correct taxpayer.
However, it seems inevitable that some taxpayers will not receive their UTR by 31 January 2022. If that includes you, to avoid any problems you should generate a payslip online using your NI number instead of a UTR. You will then need to send this by post with a cheque payment. The cheque should also have the NI number on the reverse. This will allow HMRC to match the payment to the account and negate any possible late payment penalty.





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