Anyone submit their Tax Returns Online?

[peterb]

If so, this might be of interest to you...

BBC NEWS | UK | 'Double standard' on data safety

[ernestlai]

thank you, will pass on to the folks.

[j_r_f]

Get a cold sweat just thinking about having to go back to reems of paper based tax returns

[Sippin40oz]

thanks for the post. Its a bit worrying when they are unsure of the security of your information when completing the online returns. Shouldn't the same data protection standards apply to everyone?! Just because iam not famous does that mean losing my information is less important??

[schmunk]

This is such a non-story.

Royalty, MPs etc. have always had extra security applied to their tax returns within HMRC. The issue appears to be that this security process does not currently interface with the online system, such that the 'high security' returns will follow a 'normal security' path for at least some of their time within HMRC.

The additional security for these returns is, as anyone might realise with just a moment's thought, due to the fact that several people would pay good money to poorly-paid civil servants for details of MPs' tax returns, whereas nobody cares about 'normal' people.

[peterb]

This story is 10 months old now, and I know that HMRC were upgrading their systems in the summer (I know because my tax return got frozen in the system for 8 weeks!) so I would hope that all security on the system has been improved.

We also now know that MPs have a different tax office and taxation rules from the rest of us - but that last bit has been rather more extensively covered in the last three months!

[snootyjim]

I'm not sure whether I can be bothered to file or not... I had a feeling that I'd need to file a tax return after I switched jobs, but HMRC has already repaid me a hefty lump of tax as a result of that so I suspect it won't turn out to be anything significant.

[peterb]

You don't have a choice if they ask you for one! Personally I prefer to as it ensures that I haven't overpaid, but if your tax affairs are simple, and you aren't asked for one, then probably no point.

However, although I am not a tax lawyer (or accountant) I see a risk because if you don't and you end up owing tax, they can come after you later because you are legally required to declare all income, whether you are asked to file a return in any particular tax year or not. (So not being asked for a form doesn't absolve you from the responsibility of reporting income.)

But that is my understanding as a tax payer - as I said earlier, I have no professional qualification in that area.

[schmunk]

Originally Posted by peterb

You don't have a choice if they ask you for one! Personally I prefer to as it ensures that I haven't overpaid, but if your tax affairs are simple, and you aren't asked for one, then probably no point.

However, although I am not a tax lawyer (or accountant) I see a risk because if you don't and you end up owing tax, they can come after you later because you are legally required to declare all income, whether you are asked to file a return in any particular tax year or not. (So not being asked for a form doesn't absolve you from the responsibility of reporting income.)

But that is my understanding as a tax payer - as I said earlier, I have no professional qualification in that area.

I do have a professional qualification in this area.

If HMRC haven't asked you to file a tax return, you don't need to although, as peterb notes, you are legally obliged to declare to HMRC any sources of income which have not already been taxed at source. (they can already see the taxed sources themselves).

If there is an under- or over-payment of less than £2,000 relating to your income taxed at source (e.g. employment, bank interest, dividends, etc.), and you are an employed taxpayer, HMRC will include this in a future-year's PAYE coding.

[snootyjim]

Hmmm. I have a feeling that they'll be wanting a portion of some interest I received gross earlier in the year, so I suspect that I'll be filling one in.

This. (is an anagram)