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HMRC & Retrospective Taxation - pushed to the brink

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    HMRC & Retrospective Taxation - pushed to the brink

    Hi, this is my first post and I'm coming from a somewhat different perspective as I was married to a contractor during the years in which he was in the Montpelier scheme. I am not a contractor myself per se, so I hope this post will be allowed. We have three children together and have been in the process of divorcing for over 9 years.

    Everytime we start the process of disentangling our lives, we come up against the barrier of HMRC and after years of possibly burying our heads in the sand and just getting on with our separate lives and, on my part, building my own career, we have just had a horrible year of threatening and misleading letters and demands for an inordinately enormous sum, £148K and growing.

    I have recently enlisted the help of my MP, I won't say who he is but he is young and a bit of a rising star. He is keen to organise a meeting with HMRC to make the payments possible and to freeze and remove the interest. My husband has corresponded at length with HMRC who take months to come back to him; all the time the interest is growing. He has filled in a statement of liabilities - unfortunately, as we have both suffered adverse fortunes in these last 9 years, he has credit card debt, i have been on the breadline practically building a business as a counsellor.

    Our family home has equity but I live in it and operate my business from there. I wouldn't be able to make a living as a counsellor if I had to pay average room hire rates per session as clients generally don't want to pay much more than £35 an hour where i live. I have been feeling so alone and shamed and guilty around this for these 15 years it has been going on for - the actions of the Inland Revenue have just left me drained and despairing - it is completely inhuman.

    My husband was a niche specialist worker who needed to move from contract to contract selling his technical skills - there was no disguised employment - he weathered the storm of periods of unemployment between contracts with a young family etc.., he invested in his own skillset.

    My point is two fold, firstly, are there other people out there affected by this, wives, families who would like to get together in some way to support one another ? and secondly, is there enough interest amongst the contractor community to highlight what has been happening in our industry either with a good investigative journalist, blogging, campaigning or publicising what is being done? I feel a huge sense of persecution constantly and last night i was low enough to consider all kinds of options just to be away from this impossible situation.

    My husband's life is being destroyed, and although we are not together, mine is too. And my children are all really struggling with GCSEs, A levels and Uni and the stress of it, although i am not sure how much they actually know, is terrible. So if there are any of you on here who would like to connect, or can think of anything constructive we can do, i would really welcome the chance to do so. If this post is not allowed, I accept that too. It was quite hard to write quite honestly.

    #2
    Please don't do anything to harm yourself. I can tell you 100% that your children would rather have no money and a loving mother than no mother around.

    Just remember that every time you get a letter it was written by someone who had no friends growing up and failed to gain any proper qualifications so ended up working for HMRC where they exact their revenge on the rest of society.

    Your ex husband should consider going bankrupt and taking this debt and all the card debt with him. He'll come out the other side OK in a few years and be able to start again, it would impact on his ability to work for banks etc but if it is an option he should certainly consider it out of respect for you and his children.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by SummerhillLass View Post
      My point is two fold, firstly, are there other people out there affected by this, wives, families who would like to get together in some way to support one another ? and secondly, is there enough interest amongst the contractor community to highlight what has been happening in our industry either with a good investigative journalist, blogging, campaigning or publicising what is being done? I feel a huge sense of persecution constantly and last night i was low enough to consider all kinds of options just to be away from this impossible situation.
      Where were you 2008-2014?

      The battle started in 2008. A group formed called NTRT. They are closed to new members since 2015..

      MP still claim the legal battle is ongoing. However anyone who carries on now is almost certain to get surcharges and penalties.

      Personally I have lost my sanity, wife and children. My psychiatrist provides some help.

      You and your husband need to see your GP, and get proper help. Then approach HMRC.

      I will ask PM rights for you so I can advise further.

      Comment


        #4
        PM me.
        Best Forum Adviser & Forum Personality of the Year 2018.

        (No, me neither).

        Comment


          #5
          Retrospective taxation has destroyed many lives and will destroy more each day that HMRC are allowed to continue with their draconian rule. Unfortunately, given the state of the country and that avoidance is now perceived like only evasion once was, HMRC will be allowed to get away with anything now. They have bent and broken numerous rules to get to this stage.

          I'm assuming you are being allowed to finalise your divorce until this tax bill is settled?

          I empathise with your situation but you only really have 2 options: pay up or go bankrupt.

          Equity in your home is no use if you're living with the stress of HMRC every day. Consider using some of it to pay down the tax bill and get HMRC to arrange a payment plan for the rest.

          Else, depending on your finances, perhaps you and your husband can declare bankruptcy. But it's not for anyone on an anonymous forum to really advise either way.

          EDIT: as above, speak with Webberg at Big Group. You'll see 100's of posts about BG and so hopefully he will be able to advise you well.

          Comment


            #6
            SummerhillLass

            For a moment I thought that was my ex-wife speaking, it sounds all too familiar!

            You are not alone - there are many families suffering at the hands of the people "..who had no friends growing up and failed to gain any proper qualifications so ended up working for HMRC where they exact their revenge on the rest of society".

            Like others, I have now lost my home and family and feel under constant persecution with HMRC dragging out the fear, uncertainty and doubt. You need to know they read these boards to see if there's any way they can pick up any new ways to spread further misery. They enjoy it, it's what they live for.

            PM me if you want

            Edit: Agree - speak to Webberg he is an expert
            Last edited by flamel; 23 November 2017, 13:10.
            Join Big Group - don't let them get away with it
            http://www.wttbiggroup.co.uk/

            Comment


              #7
              HMRC = :nazi:

              Comment


                #8
                You are not alone.

                Please consider seeing a GP and explain the situation so you can get some support.

                HMRC hide behind the will of Parliament and can be psychopathic at times. They will try every trick in the book to wear you down but all may not be as cut and dried they want you to think.

                A tax professional has asked you to PM him above. I've spoken to him and he knows the score and has dealt with people in our position many times. There are other tax professionals out there too, get some advice.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Originally posted by webberg View Post
                  PM me.

                  I would like to .... sorry, but I can't figure out from this site how to PM.

                  A few of you have offered this and I would like to speak off list.

                  Comment


                    #10
                    I’ll ask Admin to give you PM rights.
                    "I can put any old tat in my sig, put quotes around it and attribute to someone of whom I've heard, to make it sound true."
                    - Voltaire/Benjamin Franklin/Anne Frank...

                    Comment

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