I empathise Jay. This is the nonsense of 'self assessment'. When the Revenue had to 'assess', they had a rational interest in keeping it as simple and reliable as possible. Now, the paradox is they have less to do but do it worse! They've lost the trained expertise and don't know where to begin administering a competent system.
People don't ask themselves this question, but what could be dafter than the authorities designing the system and penalties but every individual taxpayer has to employ an expert to ensure its right. In addition, they intervene here and there with codings, estimates and refunds and all these only when it suits them.
By 'suits them' I mean for instance the POA system is a nonsense, merely based on the previous year. We know far better what is and will be due and a 'true' self assessment system would place codings, estimates and statements in the taxpayer's hands.
Got a letter from them today dated 20 December. Luckily it's not an urgent one.
Have had a few similar problems with them recently. They gave a client a deadline to pay his tax from a P800 but he didn't get the letter for a few weeks and then they said he'd missed it and would now have to do self assessments for 4 years. Nice people.
