01743 271071 [email protected]

If not HMRC have compiled a handy list of last year’s excuses by people late claiming tax credits

Jenny Eclair voices the Tax Credit Adverts

Jenny Eclair voices the Tax Credit Adverts

In January I posted a Blog on excuses given to HMRC for late submissions of tax returns and today is one in a similar vein on excuses given by individuals, who had not renewed their tax credits by the statutory deadline of 31st July.

Being dumped by a “rich bloke” is one of several excuses taxpayers gave for failing to renew their tax credits claims on time. The posted list of excuses was published together with a second list of HMRC’s top 10 national minimum wage excuses. A second Blog will follow soon on the minimum wage, but first Tax Credits.

The excuses ranged from the relatively mundane (my dog pooped on my form) to the bizarre, “I was talking to God and asked him to provide, when he didn’t I phoned you”.

Below is my selection of the best excuses given to the HMRC teams who decide on appeals to reinstate tax credits, which will be granted if there is a reasonable excuse; but some people are clearly intent on stretching the dictionary definition of reasonable, see whether or not you agree with them.

We Can Assist You with Your Tax Credits

  • Wealthy boyfriend – One of the best excuses was from a lady who said she didn’t think she needed the money because she’d met a “rich bloke” , but then he dumped her, so she’d changed her mind
  • Mummy’s pet – Another claimant said his mum usually does this for him and as she had forgotten, so had he
  • Auto mishap – A very unfortunate person apparently locked their form in the boot of their car, then the car was stolen and subsequently went on fire. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear
  • Child’s plaything – One mother claimed the form was used by her two year-old as a colouring book. Go to McDonald’s they give out colouring books and crayons for free!
  • The old chestnut – Of course, no great excuse list is ever complete without: “my dog/cat/hamster ate or pooped on the form”, but my favourite of this group, and there were thousands in this category, was:
  • Spider’s bite don’t they? – One woman claimed that her son had lined his pet tarantulas’ tank with the form and she was afraid of being bitten. Which beggars the question, why didn’t she get him to take it out?
  • Deadline confusion – Many claimants said they simply got muddled up with the 31st January tax return deadline. I have a lot of sympathy with this one; how can HMRC on one hand say to the self-employed you’ve got 10 months to prepare your records and then say “Ah but you’ve only got 4 months for Tax Credits”. I give up!
  • Holiday time – Another common excuse is that many parents are on holiday at the end of July and as a result forgot all about it
  • I’m Poorly – Being ill sounds a pretty valid excuse to me, but HMRC included one claimant on the list who was in hospital on 31st July, but then phoned them to say, “ You’ll be pleased to know I’m feeling much better now”
  • Bosses’ fault – Many claimants state that they were simply unable to get income details from their employer in time, but on one appeal the claimant was asked “Didn’t you get a P60 in April”, to which he replied, “Yes, but nobody reads them, do they”
  • Amnesiac – The last big group on the list are the claimants who believe that they had already renewed and blame HMRC, the Post Office, Acts of God and even God himself for it not being received
  • Allergies – One poor soul claimed he was allergic to the ink on the form and couldn’t be near the form long enough to complete it without having asthma like reaction. Well, I’ve got good news for you, as from this year you can renew online at: http://taxcredits.hmrc.gov.uk/
  • Down Under – I’ll finish off with my personal favourite which concerns a woman with a sister in Australia. She informed the appeals officer that she’d accidently included the form in a parcel she’d sent to her sister a month earlier for Christmas. When the officer pointed out that Christmas was in December not June, the woman retorted, “didn’t they teach you anything at school, everyone knows that Australians have their Christmas the same time as us in winter and their winter is in June”. Just priceless!

Share