BBC Cost of Living expert Colletta Smith has warned that people are receiving crucial correspondence from HMRC – and some letters require immediate action
BBC’s Cost of Living Correspondent, Colletta Smith explained when HMRC letters need action(Image: BBC)
A BBC expert has cautioned that people are being sent letters from HMRC which they ‘mustn’t ignore’. Appearing on BBC Morning Live, Cost of Living specialist Colletta Smith highlighted that multiple letters are presently being issued by government departments – and those receiving them must take action – with certain correspondence demanding payment.
She disclosed there are three letters individuals must not overlook – and pointed out some have a direct impact on state pensioners. Ms Smith stated: “The government are sending out letters at the moment, so something from the DWP and also HMRC you really shouldn’t ignore.
“So at this time of year, especially if you’ve completed a tax return at the end of January, this is the moment you might get a letter saying, actually you owe a bit more than you thought you did. So HMRC have put out that information there.”
Do NOT Ignore These HMRC Letters
Letter IDMS99 – Amount overdueLetter IDMS99P – Simple assessmentLetter – Possible involvement in tax avoidance
Ms Smith explained: “There’s that number at the top is the first letter they’re saying don’t ignore because that’s effectively a payment that’s due, you still owe a little bit more money. That middle number there, that long number, is a letter what they call a simple assessment.
“That’s basically an extra tax bill. And more people are potentially going to be facing these who are pensioners because you may well fall into a tax bracket for the first time this year or next year because your income’s risen, but the tax brackets haven’t. So you might have to pay a bit more tax, you might end up with one of those bills that you haven’t done in previous years.
“And then that last letter there is about tax avoidance. So if anything arrives along those lines, it’s super important to open it and try and face reality and deal with it. Even just to be aware of what’s going on, even if you can’t afford to pay it, make sure you’re opening it and at least beginning the thought process.”
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The Government has recently published a comprehensive list on gov.uk outlining recent correspondence issued by HMRC. Ms Smith added: “So it’s quite a useful way of double checking if you’ve got something you can go on their website and see whether it links up with one of their regular letters that they are sending out at the moment.” To examine the government’s letter distribution, click here. She also emphasised that the ongoing Royal Mail delivery disruptions currently impacting households across the UK could result in significant delays to vital correspondence.
She stated: “We’ve been doing a big story about the ongoing problems at the Royal Mail at the moment. So a lot of letters either aren’t arriving or are arriving late. So the first thing to do if you’re getting, particularly, a wad of letters arrive through the door on one day is to check the date that that letter was sent.
“So it may already be out of date. You may have either missed the appointment, you may have already paid the bill, you may have already dealt with the situation because actually the letter was sent weeks ago and they’ve already sent you an email or a text message or something else to catch up with. So check the date that the letter was sent to see if it’s something you’ve already dealt with that you can ignore.”
HMRC letters sent out recently:
Letter CA2490 — Home Responsibilities Protection eligibilityLetter CA4361 — National Insurance contributionsLetter IDMS99 — amount overdueLetter IDMS99P — Simple AssessmentLetter OCA300 — repayment of student loan deductionsLetter VPCF1 — decision to cancel your VAT registrationMaking Tax Digital for Income Tax — customer awareness letterPossible involvement in tax avoidanceSelf Assessment — claiming a repaymentSelf Assessment repayment claim and criteria reviewStamp Duty Land Tax and Capital Gains Tax customers
To visit the gov letters rundown click here.
