Self assessment POA

[LegallyBrunette]

Just to provide a bit of context to this, in case some other non professional readers are finding things confusing:

My client -

2019-20 balancing payment 2619.82
1st payment on account for 2020-21 due by 31 January 2021 1309.91
Total due by January 2021 3929.73

He had already paid £1181.70 on Jan20, and not paid second payment on account. So he owes £2748.03


If I click on his "current position", nowhere does it say this figure.

In one breath it says £1181.70 is due for payment.

In the next, it says "You have a total of £2876.24 becoming due for payment. Your next payment is due on 31 January 2021".

You can click the £2876.24, and when you do, you find that it includes

The balance of 2019-20 that would have been due, if the second payment on account had been made
The first 2020-21 payment on account
The second 2020-21 payment on account, not due until July 2021

This, to me at least, is a pretty misleading way to present what is owed. Its no wonder individuals trying to file their own returns can struggle.

[robbob]

Thanks. I have now submitted the return. The calculation states 7000 balancing payment plus 3500 1st POA Jan 21.
But when looking at the current position it states 3500 1st POA Jan 21, 3500 2nd POA July 21 and 1250 balancing payment Jan 21.
Taking into account 1st POA in July 20 of 2900 I was expecting a balancing payment of 4100 (7000-2900) which is stated in tax year overview 20. Does anyone know why the balancing payment in the current position does not match the balancing payment in the tax overview?

On my current position there are two totals. One total is the 2900 which is my 2nd POA from July 20 which I deferred. The other total is 8250 which includes 1st POA 3500 for Jan 21, 2nd POA 3500 for July 21 and balancing payment 1250.
So for January do I need to pay 7650 based on:
2900 2nd POA July 20 plus
3500 1st POA Jan 21 and
1250 balancing payment

Your numbers do not compute - but i don't think that matters as i would be reasonably confident you need to pay the £7,650 you speculated.

If you want to solve the puzzle (and i would love it if we could solve it!) and put us out of our misery please click on the "tax" button next to the 2019/20 tax figure calculated within the 19/20 view account section - here it woill break down the final confirmed liability into the 3 parts and the numbers will all add up!

At present your 3 parts are
1st payment on account £2900
2nd payment on account £2900
balancing payment £1250
sum total £7050 which is £50 over the top.

If i had to guess i would go with
1st payment on account £2,875 (ooh newly introduced number here )
2nd payment on account £2,875
balancing payment £1250

With regard to the first payment on account that was due of £2,875.00 you have underpaid by £25.00 so thats why the number is showing as £2,900 now.

I guess the alternative is that as bd6759 says you are not using genune numbers and are playing the "wind up an accountant in january game" by giving them a puzzle that can't be solved due to the fact the numbers don't add up - i am tempted to copy your question onto accounting web to wind up the regulars there

[Phil long]

Just to provide a bit of context to this, in case some other non professional readers are finding things confusing:

My client -

2019-20 balancing payment 2619.82
1st payment on account for 2020-21 due by 31 January 2021 1309.91
Total due by January 2021 3929.73

He had already paid £1181.70 on Jan20, and not paid second payment on account. So he owes £2748.03


If I click on his "current position", nowhere does it say this figure.

In one breath it says £1181.70 is due for payment.

In the next, it says "You have a total of £2876.24 becoming due for payment. Your next payment is due on 31 January 2021".

You can click the £2876.24, and when you do, you find that it includes

The balance of 2019-20 that would have been due, if the second payment on account had been made
The first 2020-21 payment on account
The second 2020-21 payment on account, not due until July 2021

This, to me at least, is a pretty misleading way to present what is owed. Its no wonder individuals trying to file their own returns can struggle.

Your clients example seems the same as mine. Totally agree it’s confusing the way it’s presented on the website.