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Where Taxpayers and Advisers Meet

Tax Return rejected because pages are missing

Anicetry
Posts:32
Joined:Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:00 pm
Tax Return rejected because pages are missing

Postby Anicetry » Fri Nov 29, 2019 9:08 pm

I help an elderly friend with his Tax Return. He has had it returned as unacceptable "because pages TR4 – 7 are missing". This was the first year he did not receive a Tax Return in the post – for reasons unknown – nor any letter reminding him he needed to submit one, somehow. So I downloaded only those pages which he needed to complete. I could see no point in printing and submitting pages with no entries. But it's been rejected. I also only printed pages F1 and F6 but HMRC have not complained that pages F2 – 5 are missing, only TR4 – 7.

I was under the impression that rather like one can write a legally cashable cheque on anything, one isn't legally obliged to use the official form to declare one's income – it could be done in a letter. Am I wrong about that? And even if I am, are HMRC right to insist that every page is submitted, even if there's nothing on them?! And why not F2 – 5, why are TR4 – 7 so precious?

AGoodman
Posts:1738
Joined:Fri May 16, 2014 3:47 pm

Re: Tax Return rejected because pages are missing

Postby AGoodman » Mon Dec 02, 2019 11:28 am

I can't quote the exact rule but I'd be very surprised if (1) you don't need to provide a return on the proper form and (2) you can miss out pages.

The former is because sending a return without receiving notice is (I think) essentially shortcutting the process whereby you give notice you have a liability, receive a notice to file and file. The notice to file requires you to provide all info reasonably required. Also, if you miss out pages, HMRC don't know what would have been on those pages. I appreciate they may (but not necessarily) be able to deduce they were empty but they are not given to that kind of helpfulness.

They may have just not noticed the other pages that were missing. If penalties are not yet an issue, by far the quickest solution will be to resubmit.


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