There are possible chances of making a mistake in the tax returns. If you are the one who is dealing with the same issue right now, the first thing you would want to know is how to amend tax return errors. There are several people who are confused with thinking that this is not possible to amend such mistakes that you have made while doing your tax returns. However, this is not the case at all. The good news is that this is now possible to make amendments if you have made mistakes in an already submitted self-assessment tax return. Moreover, you must be aware of the possible mistakes that usually people make in their self-assessment tax returns and how they can be rectified.
This guide is designed just according to the queries we get frequently about the amendments in tax return errors. Further in the discussion, this guide will unfold the details about the possibility of amendments in your tax returns, how can you make the amendments, for how long you can go back to previous years to make corrections, and what will be the scenario is HMRC has made a mistake in the tax returns.
Accounting firms can assist you in managing your queries about how to amend your tax returns and avail maximum tax relief possible. Let’s talk to one of our professionals or tax advisor.
Is it Possible to Amend my Tax Returns?
Whether you added the incorrect numbers in your tax returns or there is an error from HMRC, this simply makes you overpay or underpay your tax bills. To figure out that there are certain errors in your tax returns is quite a frustrating observation, however, the best part is that it is possible to make amendments to your already submitted tax returns as well. If you realise the mistake right after the submission, you will have to wait for a duration of 72 hours before you can plan to make amendments.
These changes can be made until a certain period of time. So you can consider this as your deadline. Once you are done with making the amendments, you will receive an amended tax bill. This will help to clarify whether you have underpaid or overpaid. In case of underpayment of the tax bill, you will owe some amount to HMRC. Otherwise, you wil owe a refund from HMRC.
How can i Amend the Tax Return Errors in the UK?
You will have to check whether you filed your self-assessment tax returns by paper or online to see the method of making the amendments. People often prefer to the filing digitally these days. If you have made the submission online, here are the steps that will help you to make amendments to your tax returns.
- Keep your government gateway id and password with you to sign in.
- You can go to the self-assessment tax account from your own tax account.
- If you do not see any such option, you can skip this step.
- Now go and click on more self-assessment details.
- Click on ‘at a glance’.
- Now click on the ‘tax return option’
- Now select the tax year that belongs to your tax return amendments.
- Now you are ready to make the corrections.
- Make the corrections and now you can file your tax returns again.
What is the Limit of Going Far Back to Amend Tax Returns?
You must be glad to hear about the possibility of making the tax return amendments, however, you need to consider the time lot as well. When you observe errors in your self-assessment tax returns, you have a period of 12 months to correct the errors. We will take the example of the tax year 2020-2021, you will have to make the amendments in the tax return by 31 January 2023. In case mistakes are found in the tax year 2022-2023, you will have to make the amendments by 31 January 2024.
Moreover, in case you have missed any of the deadlines, there is still the possibility to make the corrections in your tax returns. For this, you will have to get in touch with HMRC. If there is a possible refund, you can claim it for four years after the relevant tax year has ended. You will again get in touch with HMRC for this purpose to explain that you are making a claim of the tax overpayment.
What to do with the Mistakes and Errors of HMRC?
There is nothing wrong in saying that HMRC can make errors too. This can be computational errors or other human errors. This is why it is important to always keep a close follow-up and check your calculations before you submit the tax returns. If you’re successful in keeping a fine record of tax and relevant calculations, this will reduce the chances of errors. This will also help to provide proof that the mistakes are not made from your side.
For example, if you are going through an investigation and HMRC claims that you have paid less but you are pretty sure that you have paid correctly, you will have to provide the pieces of evidence in form of invoices, bank statements, and receipts.
The Bottom Line
Now that we have gathered a fair amount of information about how to amend your tax returns, we can bring the discussion towards wrapping up. It is quite possible to make amendments to your tax returns. However, you will have to follow the steps discussed in this guide. We hope these few minutes of reading will help you better understand how to amend your tax returns in the UK.
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Disclaimer: All the information provided in this article on how to amend your tax returns in the UK, including all the texts and graphics, is general in nature. It does not intend to disregard any of the professional advice.