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Topic: First time filing in the UK  (Read 1152 times)

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First time filing in the UK
« on: January 26, 2011, 01:42:32 AM »
Hi everyone,

The 31st crept up on me rather quickly due to a prolonged illness during much of January. I'm at a bit of a loss how to get started with filing here in the UK.

I tried to register for the on-line self-assessment but I need a UTR number - I don't think I ever received one of these. I looked through all my paperwork and couldn't find anything regarding it.

I've also read you have to have been residing/working here for a majority of the year to be obliged to file - I've been working since the first week of June, 2010. I'm not sure where this puts me.

As far as I know I haven't received any sort of P60 etc from my employer, just weekly pay stubs. I've been somewhat out of contact with them as I've been out on a sick note for the last 3 weeks.

I'm just somewhat overwhelmed and was hoping someone could help me get started.

Many thanks,
lhc81



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Re: First time filing in the UK
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2011, 07:11:12 AM »
Are you sure you need to file? The majority of the people living in the UK don't have to file taxes because they pay tax through PAYE. In general, only people who are self-employed or have complicated tax affairs have to file their own taxes.

If you have tax automatically taken out of your paycheck via PAYE and you will be receiving a P60 from your employer at the end of the tax year (in April), then you shouldn't have any reason to file your own taxes unless you have more complicated circumstances (such as being a director of a company, having large amounts of money from property/investments/savings, if you earn more than £100,000 etc.).

You can check out this link to find out if you actually need to file taxes or not:

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/SelfAssessmentYourTaxReturn/DG_4017116


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Re: First time filing in the UK
« Reply #2 on: January 26, 2011, 08:00:11 AM »
If you have only been here since june 2010, this deadline isn't for you. The 2010-11 tax year hasn't ended yet. You would file next jan.


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Re: First time filing in the UK
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2011, 08:10:00 AM »
If you have only been here since june 2010, this deadline isn't for you. The 2010-11 tax year hasn't ended yet. You would file next jan.

Good point - I've never had to file taxes in the UK, so that part didn't occur to me :P.


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Re: First time filing in the UK
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2011, 06:06:37 PM »
You will get a UTR when you get your official notification from HMRC to file your taxes.  It's at the top right corner.   But as Sara says, the January 31st deadline is for April 2009-April 2010. 
I've never gotten food on my underpants!
Work permit (2007) to British Citizen (2014)
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Re: First time filing in the UK
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2011, 09:33:58 PM »
Thanks everyone for the info.

It seems that I don't have to file as my tax is taken out directly via PAYE.

The majority of people I work with are employed as contractors/independents through their own companies.. thus the confusion.

Hope I get something back in April  ::)


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Re: First time filing in the UK
« Reply #6 on: January 26, 2011, 09:51:18 PM »
Hope I get something back in April  ::)
If you're on PAYE, you shouldn't get anything back, because your taxes should be correct every month (that's the great thing about the PAYE system... you don't have to worry about your taxes :)).

The only reason you may get a refund or may owe money is if your tax code is incorrect (i.e. if you're on the emergency tax rate (which I think is 647L for 2010/11) or the basic rate (BR) and it turns out that you should be on a different rate), but you don't have to wait until April to find this out - you can just call your tax office now and check with them if you're on the right code (if you've paid too much, they should send you a cheque in the mail, or you may owe them money).

I was mistakenly on the BR tax code for a year between July 2005 and July 2006 and when I realised this (in July 2006), I called the tax office to correct it. Within 4 weeks, I received a check in the mail for £1,500 (for the 2005/2006 tax year) and then I had the tax for the 2006/07 year (up to July) credited on my paycheques for the next few months until I had received all the money back (I went from full-time hours to only 7.5 hours a week in September 2006, so the tax had to be adjusted).

You can read about the different tax codes here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/codes-basics.htm and here: http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/incometax/emergency-code.htm


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Re: First time filing in the UK
« Reply #7 on: January 26, 2011, 10:11:26 PM »
But if you still have any income or savings back in the US (including an IRA or 401(k)) you will still need to file an annual UK return - except in certain quite limited circumstances.

In the year of arrival in particular you will then need to decide whether to report in the UK on the arising basis or the remittance basis.


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