Tax

Recently, I had the occasion to make a claim for tax relief. It kicks in if an individual is working thirty or more hours per week; helpful when times are hard and hopefully, before long, I will be making so much money, I will have to pay it all back.. Back in October, when I began self employment, my advisor gave me a form prefilled to be signed and returned but I was too honest for my own good and did not return it due to the odd disco here and there not mounting up hour sufficiently. Straight forward enough to just apply now then? Well it is, in theory. They found no trace of me living here, despite having my payslips, P60, benefit stuff and every voter's roll since moving to this address. "I needed to attend my local tax office with two proofs of ID, there, they would have the form ready to finish off and the application would be done" I arrived at Ruby house in good time (I know!) Produced my DL and a bank statement and was then handed a form. "Is that prefilled then?" I asked. "Oh no, we cant do that but take it away and fill it in" "Oh so can I not hand it back to you to get it into the system?" No, we cant do that, but go over to a booth and if you are struggling use the quick dial to call the helpline" I got my name and address down then had to call the helpline. Of course I hadn't taken any information with me such as my self employment tax ref (not my NI, I've known it off by heart since my wallet was stolen in '89) nor my income for last year, it is some notional figure made up in a dusty office somewhere. "Hello help line ?? speaking" Hello I'm in my local tax office having just confirmed my ID, can you give me my tax reference please?" "No we cannot give out such information over the phone" "But I'm in my local tax office as I speak.." "No we cant divulge personal information" "What about my income details for the form?" same answer. She helpfully suggested she could post out a tax coding notice but it may take up to fourteen days. I respectfully thanked her but declined, adding that I could probably drive home quicker. I got up to return the pen to the advisor and asked if, maybe he could find my TAX REFERENCE NUMBER. "Oh no, we dont hold that kind of information here. "But you're the tax office" I almost sobbed. Remember, all I had to do back in October was sign and date. Instead, a drive to Aberdeen on a day I could have been working, fuel, parking charges, a long walk as, with new tyres and a lowish fuel tank, I could not guarantee clearing the height limit on a multi storey. As I walked back to the car on a warm, sunny day in my T-Shirt, I mumbled to myself as I clutched the various envelopes and forms I had been given away with me. As I continued to mumble, there were a few drops of rain noticable. Once I returned to the car, my T-Shirt was soaked through and I placed the papier mache that had been in my hand on the passenger seat!