HMRC Reveals the Top Ten Ridiculous Tax Excuses HMRC Has Heard
Today, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has revealed some of the terrible excuses they have heard for missing the 31 January tax return deadline. Many of these rank among the top ten ridiculous tax excuses HMRC has ever received, with taxpayers blaming pets, girlfriends, work colleagues, and even the President of the United States for their lateness.
Despite these creative explanations, all of these excuses failed in appeals against HMRC penalties for late filing and payment. Below is the full list:
-
My pet dog ate my tax return…and all the reminders.
-
I was up a mountain in Wales, and couldn’t find a post box or get an internet signal.
-
I fell in with the wrong crowd.
-
I’ve been travelling the world, trying to escape from a foreign intelligence agency.
-
Barack Obama is in charge of my finances.
-
I’ve been busy looking after a flock of escaped parrots and some fox cubs.
-
A work colleague borrowed my tax return, to photocopy it, and didn’t give it back.
-
I live in a camper van in a supermarket car park.
-
My girlfriend’s pregnant.
-
I was in Australia.
HMRC Director General of Personal Tax, Ruth Owen, said:
“People can have a genuine excuse for missing a tax deadline, but owning a pet with a taste for HMRC envelopes isn’t one of them. You need to file your 2013/14 tax return online, and pay what you owe, by 31 January. But it’s best to do it now, to allow plenty of time to sort out any issues with your return. That way, you’ll avoid the busy period for our phone lines as the deadline approaches.”
Filing Deadlines and Registration for HMRC Online Services
All outstanding 2017/18 tax returns must now be submitted online, since the 31 October paper-filing deadline has passed. Therefore, to send an online tax return, you must be registered for HMRC Online Services. This means HMRC will send you an Activation Code in the post, and you should allow 10 days for it to arrive.
Don’t Make Excuses, Make a Call: Get Your Tax Return Sorted
Let’s face it—no excuse beats the wild ones HMRC has heard. So, why risk penalties? Instead, skip the crazy stories and let us handle your tax return on time, every time. Contact us today and stop worrying about deadlines—leave the excuses to everyone else!
This article is from: www.gov.uk/government/news/taxman-reveals-top-10-terrible-tax-excuses