FD5 Lost

[Grecian]

Help! Having been very patient, my wife finally telephoned HMRC this morning enquiring as to when she is likely to have all her UK income tax rebated, we left the UK in September 2008, only to be informed that HMRC have not received her FD5.

 

We handed our completed FD5 forms into our local Impots office along with our first French tax declaration last May. I received my UK income tax rebate and new code about 3 months ago, so obviously my FD5 found its way through.

 

Her FD5 form has been lost by either the French or UK authorities, my money is on the UK end, which leaves us with the problem as to what to do now. I assume the first step is to contact our local Impots office again, (oh no another telephone call in French), [8-)] but what response can I expect? Will it be the case of completing another FD5 handing it into our local office, and then saying ‘bon voyage’ to that one, or can we take a copy of the original and get them to stamp it, and we sent it back to HMRC ourselves?

 

Any help on the above will be most appreciated, still a bit early to try and speak to Mrs Grecian, as she is still in the throwing objects around the room mode at the moment. [:-))]

[suein56]

[quote user="Grecian"]I assume the first step is to contact our local Impots office again, (oh no another telephone call in French), [8-)] but what response can I expect? Will it be the case of completing another FD5 handing it into our local office, and then saying ‘bon voyage’ to that one, or can we take a copy of the original and get them to stamp it, and we sent it back to HMRC ourselves?

 [/quote]

Having had a similar problem ourselves I would email your local tax office and ask when the form FD5 you deposited with them on such-and-such-date was sent on to Paris. We were told by HMRC that Paris can hang on to them for a long time, and then they batch send them to the UK.

I submitted our FD5s in May 2008 at our local tax office and we received our separate refunds in our UK Bank accounts on 7 December 2009. That is 19 months!

Sue

[mint]

Don't know what advice to give you, Grecian, but I have come on here to bear out what Sue has said about the delay.

Ours took in excess of two years (yes, you read that right, TWO years).  OH has got part of his money back with some more promised but no sight of it yet.

We ourselves tried everything, ringing/calling at the local tax office, always to be told that the forms had gone off.  Then phone calls, letters to the UK, always to be told that the forms hadn't been received.  Then one day, Bingo, yes we have your forms but there is a backlog so don't expect to hear anything for a few months.

OH was told that they were "simplifying" their computer processes and that some delay was only to be expected!

I don't think I have that much faith in the system but it does get sorted out.... but EVENTUALLY.

[Sunday Driver]

Given that the Paris tax office doesn't really have to do anything with the FD5 other than log it, stamp it and stick it in the post to HMRC, I'd take bets that it's ended up in the HMRC black hole.

I suggest you download and print off a fresh FD5, get your local tax office to stamp it, then send it off yourself by registered post directly to HMRC.  You can then chase them up without them having the excuse of a delay on the part of the French.

 

[Grecian]

Many thanks for your replies and suggestions, much appreciated.

sue and sweet 17 I have taken heart that my wife's struggle is not unique, as it has only been a mere 17 months at the moment waiting for here rebate I guess there is still hope!

SD I too subscribe to the 'blackhole' theory, but it still leaves us with a problem. Following on from your suggestion, is it permissible to cut Paris out of the loop so to speak, by asking our local office to stamp the new FD5, and return it to HMRC ourselves?

I think it is fairly safe to be in the same room with Mrs G this evening, but I think I will keep my tin hat on. [:D]

 

[cooperlola]

[quote user="Grecian"]

is it permissible to cut Paris out of the loop so to speak, by asking our local office to stamp the new FD5, and return it to HMRC ourselves?

 

[/quote]In fact our own tax office just stamped ours and gave them straight back to us so for both we did this with nil problem. 2 months to do my o/h's and 14 for mine (go figure, as the Yanks say.)

[Araucaria]

Coops: what you suggest might work, I'm not saying it won't. But it didn't work for us. We got the local office to do a belt and braces job: copies of my and OH's FD5 via Paris, and a second copy, with an original stamp, direct. I later rang HMRC to confirm they had received the "direct" ones, they had, and they said they could not act on them. The forms had to come via Paris.

I have very little sympathy for HMRC on this. Some other countries don't insist on the forms going via the (foreign) tax head office to the UK. It's supposed to be an anti-fraud measure so presumably we ex-pats in France are to be trusted less than ex-pats elsewhere. I think it just provides HMRC with a perfect excuse for sitting on a pile of unsorted forms and doing nothing. The UK exchequer gains by the delay.

I would love to know whether the pile of FD5s in Nottingham is counted and treated as a target for the staff concerned, or whether it is just conveniently ignored.

For what it's worth, HMRC have lost OHs FD5. Mine was processed in about six months, but after I received the long-awaited letter from HMRC saying OT codes would be issued "shortly", it was another three months before they actually did so. And then what they actually issued was OT on a Week1/Month1 basis, so yet another phone call was needed to get the arrears paid.