Will HMRC fine me £100 if I don’t file a tax return? I sent an email AND sent a certified letter with no response…

I have filed a tax return in the past but took HMRC online survey which said I didn’t need to do one last year.

HMRC were issuing public notices at the time, saying please don’t call us alone Complete an online form if you no longer need to file a tax return.so I did it last fall.

The automated email I received in response said: ‘If your request is successful, we will confirm it in writing. If your application is unsuccessful, we will write to you and explain why or ask you for further information.

However, I heard nothing further, so I sent a registered letter to HMRC at the end of last year, giving the evidence that I had tried to notify them and saying that I had no intention of making a return unless they got back to me as soon as possible.

I still haven’t heard anything and now I don’t know what to do. Will I be fined £100 even though I have done everything I can think of to fix this except calling HMRC, which they tell us not to do?

If I get a fine and have to contest it, will I be successful? I’m worried that if it happened and I had to involve an accountant to defend it, that would cost a lot of money.

This is Money’s Harvey Dorset responds: Most of us are familiar with the difficulties people face when contacting HMRC about tax matters.

The system is plagued with confusing web pages and busy phone lines, not to mention tax calculations that many struggle to understand.

Last year, This is Money reported that more than two-thirds of accountants believe HMRC’s poor service is hurting small businesses, and the government department cut its customer service workforce from 25,000 to 19,500 in five years. .

This came after HMRC announced last March that it would close its self-assessment helpline from April to September and only take priority calls once it reopened, moving all other queries to its online chatbots.

Given the uproar this caused, the department backtracked on its decision a day later stating: “The pace of this change must match the public’s appetite for managing their tax affairs online.”

HMRC are stretched thin and the fewer calls they receive the better. But it’s frustrating that you’ve gone to great lengths to find out the status of your tax return…and the looming fear of fighting a potential fine.

This is Money spoke to HMRC to see if they can shed light on what you should do to ensure you get the information you need.

Heather Rodgers, founder and owner of Aston Accountancy and This is Money’s resident tax expert, also provides her advice below on what you should do if your queries remain unanswered.

An HMRC spokesperson told This is Money: You can check your Personal Tax Account (PTA), which will show the date you applied to cease self-assessment.

The status will show the stage your application is at.

At the time HMRC processes your application, the status message will show as completed and will remain in your account for two years.

We will write you a letter to confirm that self-assessment registration is closed or if we need more details from you.

If you have not received a letter and it has been more than three weeks since you submitted the online form, customers should verify their PTA before contacting us via web chat self-assessment.

Customers can access their PTA using their HMRC online account or the HMRC app.

Heather Rogers responds: HMRC tries to push taxpayers to use their online services as if they are the solution to all tax problems, which unfortunately they are not.

If a staff member review of your application is required, until that happens, the taxpayer will not be able to progress further.

Since you have written and have not received a response either, you can call them. You can also complain (you can do this online too).

If you do not get satisfaction from HMRC, you can go to the judge.

If you receive a penalty, then you are clear reasons to appeal.

If you do not receive a response to your appeal, go to the judge directly.

For more details, you can consult my guide on what to do in a dispute with the taxman; go to the section called ‘What happens when HMRC gets it wrong?’

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Do you have a question about a tax return? Get in touch: editor@thisismoney.co.uk