Tax Credit question

[GracefulH&B]

Hi Guys.

I had a phone call earlier today from tax credits. My husband has gone to work in Nigeria and is no longer entitled to tax credits so I was told to put a new application in as a single person. I work at least 16 hours. The woman who rang me today told me that going off my last tax return, there is no way I work 16 hours so my application is going to be refused. I tried to say to the woman that my tax return shows my profits that I made (ie, my wages) but the figure in my tax return isn't how much I made. I explained to her that I made a lot more than my profits, but once I've paid petrol, insurance, stock, courses, laundry, etc, etc, then I am left with my profit. I also advised her that there are some things I do during the course of my work, that I don't get paid for (advertising, phone calls, etc). It all fell on deaf ears. She told me that she would be sending me some more forms out to fill in. Has anybody else had any experience of anything like this?

 

[TracyS]

Tax credits phoning you is a new one on me - they've always communicated by letter whenever Ive had dealings with them, unless I've called them.

I would give the helpline a ring tomorrow morning and find out what is going on.

When I first filled in a claim for the child care element when my little one went to nursery, I told them I didnt go out and see clients for 16hrs a week, more like 12, but they told me to include all the time I did paperwork, research or anything associated with work. That is going back about 6 years or so but I've dealt with them a few times since then, when my partner has been made redundant or whatever, and they've never yet phoned me to get more info or refuse a claim, like I say, it's all been by mail.

Hope you get it clarified.

xx

 

[Divine Locks]

i have been claiming tax credits as a self employed person for 3 years now and they have never contacted me by phone. they have phoned my childminder in the past to confirm the details i had given them though. as tracey S says give them a ring tomorrow to see what the situation is. although I've never had problems with TC i have recently had a similar problem with housing benefits as they didn't believe how little i had actually earned! it took months of trying to prove that my accounts were legitimate - got there in the end though:-D

Sent from my GT-I9000 using SalonGeek

 

[kezza*]

If you sent time doing advertise's, fone call's, doing leaflets anything that's to do with the business I thought u could still include that? And if your husband is working aboard I thought u still have to claim as a couple?

 

[treasure99]

As you've gone onto a single claim they send it to another dept to do more checks. They do this to reduce amount of fraudulent single claims.
So they check electoral roll, who is paying bills etc.To check for males at
The property.
The person u spoke to obviously isn't clued up on self emp. You'll prob get letter asking u to send in last years prof n loss accounts.
It's not up to her to tell u you're not entitled. Case wld go to a 'decision maker'. Nothing is for def until u receive written notification. Then u always have right of appeal.as long as u can show 16 hrs per week not a prob. Hth?
( my other job is for a gov dept)

 

[GracefulH&B]

Thanks for your responses guys. Just about to give them a ring now and see what they say. I dropped my little boy of in nursery yesterday and the manager (who is a friend) called me in to the office to say that TC had just rang her asking what hours my son goes there for. No sooner had I walked out the door, then TC rang me saying that she had spoken to my employer (I also work as a nurse), the nursery where my son goes and was now looking at my tax return. Now I think about it I'm just cross. My 6 year old daughter said to me on Monday, mummy you are always working, you never spend any time with me. And then Tuesday, I get told I don't work enough by TC.

I've looked into what I can claim for now and tbh, I must work near 30 hours a week. You can claim for driving to clients houses. Well, I live out in the sticks and my nearest client is 4 miles away and furthest clients are a 50 mile round trip. I go to college every Tuesday (doing Beauty Therapy NVQ 2 to expand my services), I can claim for doing the course and travelling to it which takes 45 minutes each way. None of that travelling or doing the course, I get paid for. I also spend hours practicing on friends and family, doing homework, doing research. Can I claim that under the business as well?

My husband works in Nigeria 46 weeks out of the year so he is not entitled to tax credits. Hence why I am now claiming as a single person.

I understand that TC need to do checks. But checking my profit and loss accounts aren't going to tell them how many hours I work. So frustrated. When my daughter said that to me on Monday and then TC rang yesterday, I nearly cried (and I'm a tuff old cookie, lol)

 

[kezza*]

Your best ringing them and they will explain I don't have a clue how it works. Doesn't your husband help? Sounds like you have two jobs. Do you work more than 16 hours with the two jobs together?

 

[lisa.sharrock]

I'm sorry but it sounds like tax credits don't have a clue.

Running a business is not just about the number of hours it takes to work on your client.

Like others have said you need to account for:

Travel to clients
Travel to wholesalers
Travel to College
Training courses
Running your business
Marketing your business
Making phonecalls
Replying to emails
Sending out mailshots/writing a blog/keeping your website up to date
If you have to go to launderette to do your washing

The hours soon add up. :suprised: