Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
24/05/24 Case study: How moving home can cause tax trouble
Jeremiah was 88 years old when we first heard from him about his tax problem. 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. His tax-related problems had started many years previously. When he was 65 his State Pension […]
11/04/24 Volunteering and mental health: How to take care of yourself
Volunteering has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health and well-being, improving self-esteem, and giving people a sense of purpose. In a study from 2021, the Royal Voluntary Service found that 18% of volunteers, compared to 9% of non-volunteers, had improved mental health for the year in question. Research has shown that […]
11/04/24 Case study: Pauls’ tax mix-up
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. Paul was particularly anxious when it came to using the internet to manage […]
08/04/24 Connecting with other charities
Our development manager has been spearheading one of the charities’ key projects, which aims to improve the pathways to our services and increase voluntary sector referrals from impoverished areas of the UK. The project arose because we wanted to make sure that people with personal tax problems speaking to other organisations had a clear and […]
18/01/24 Simple assessment
Some taxpayers will have received a Simple Assessment calculation from HMRC during the warmer summer months. What are simple assessments and what should you do if you receive one? Please note: The Simple Assessment or PA302 is not to be confused with the P800 End of Year Tax Calculation. Although both forms are used to […]
16/01/24 Self Assessment Tax Return Tips
Completing a tax return can be a daunting task for many, but with proper preparation and an understanding of the process, it can be manageable. Here are our tips for completing your 2022/23 tax return: Gather documents for all of your sources of income. This can include a P60 from an employer or pension provider, […]
16/01/24 The ‘Side Hustle Tax’ explained
You may have heard the noise in the media over the last few weeks regarding a new ‘side hustle tax’ introduced from 1 January 2024. This short article aims to identify fact from fiction and to provide some clarity over the recent changes. Despite what online articles are suggesting, there is no new ‘side hustle […]
21/11/23 Ben’s Story: How his terminal cancer diagnosis leads to a tax crisis
This is a shared story from Tax Help for Older People. After being diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ben tried to get his affairs in order to make things easier for his wife. To clear his debts, he cashed in his pension to obtain a lump sum. But when Ben received a letter from HMRC he […]
16/11/23 Joan’s Story: The fiscal challenges of grief
This is a story from Tax Help for Older People. We often hear from widowers, like Joan, who are struggling financially following the loss of their life partner. Who, amidst this struggle are then hit by a surprise tax bill or outstanding debt that they do not understand. Joan was recently widowed. Without her husband’s […]
16/11/23 Sophie’s Tax Nightmare: £10,000 in tax debt
She 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. The huge debt she had accumulated felt too much to cope with. The numerous demanding statements […]
