Helping Susan resolve years of tax stress
For years, Susan tried relentlessly to resolve a tax problem on her own. Each attempt left her more stressed and uncertain, as she felt she was only making things worse.
December 9, 2025
For years, Susan tried relentlessly to resolve a tax problem on her own. Each attempt left her more stressed and uncertain, as she felt she was only making things worse.
Despite not owning a computer, and struggling to fully understand her tax return forms, Tess diligently prepared her own tax returns for several years.
Paul was charged £1,300 in late filing penalties – on earnings of £902.77. He had no spare money to cover this tax bill and no idea what to do next.
In early 2023, Katy, a dedicated care worker from Southwark, found herself facing a financial crisis. With no savings and no clear way forward, Katy was overwhelmed and deeply anxious.
Jeremiah was 88 years old. His vulnerabilities in addition to his age, meant he had had difficulty understanding his tax position and what he needed to do to resolve it.
When a brown letter arrived telling Paul that he owed late filing penalties of £1,300 he had no idea what to do next. Paul was in employment and in receipt of universal credit, without any spare money to cover this tax bill.
After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ben tried to clear his debts. He cashed in his pension to obtain a lump sum. But when Ben received a letter from HMRC he was devastated to read that he owed them £54,000.
Joan was recently widowed. Without her husband’s pension, she was struggling, trying to manage on a lower income than she was used to.
Sophie was suffering from severe depression and numerous other health conditions. This stemmed from a series of related misfortunes: an eviction, the loss of her business, the loss of all her records and bank statements, and a broken relationship.
Working under Bridge the Gap, TaxAid and Tax Help for Older People have worked to put together this digital collection of tax stories. We have done this to tell the stories of the people that we help and demonstrate the staggering effect tax advice can have on the lives of