A few weeks ago it was announced that Comrade Gordo’s child tax credit system overpaid claimants by £6 billion since its birth in 2003.
Today I received my first child tax credit renewal form.
This evening, Jo and I sat down to fill them in:
- We read the form (2 pages to fill in)
- Read the accompanying notes (35 pages)
- Re-read form (2 pages)
- Dug out Jo’s P60 and entered Jo’s income details in form.
- Tippexed out Jo’s income details
- Dug out an old diary to work out how many weeks maternity she had last financial year.
- Deducted £100 per weeks maternity leave from her income and then deducted her travel expenses when back at work – Entered this final figure as “income” on form.
- Dug out my P60 and entered income details into form.
- Dredged the notes for references to dividends to find it in “Other Income”.
- Signed declaration.
- Put the A3 booklet in the A4 stamped addressed envelope provided (assuming it will be charged at larger size by post office).
- Poured two large glasses of red wine.
For Jo and I it was relatively straight forward. We have three degrees between us, a modicum of common sense, a combined 11 years experience of working with pedantic lawyers and we claim no job seekers allowance, council tax benefits, income support or any other income.
The tax system is not geared up to giving out money any more than the SAS is geared up to babysitting.
youre not meant to deduct travel costs to and from work its meant to be the total for year on your p60, i reccomend you phone them and correct it straight away or they will find out and they will fine you for being fraudulent
Just dug out my copy of the form to check.
Figures are P60, though there was a transport costs line that year.
Got to go through the same rigmarole for this year’s tax credits before next weekend. Arghhh!!
It’s forms like these that give me nightmares.