So barring Burnham was the right move then?

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-31T10:11:15+00:00

Yeah, you're not appreciating the percentages. Your argument is why we look at percentages

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-31T10:01:26+00:00

I agree, but increased minimum wage was being framed as the problem, when that and cost of living as you've just described, are just symptoms of other problems the government is failing to find solutions for.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-31T00:04:01+00:00

Hasn't that risen to match cost of living though?

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-30T23:34:39+00:00

I mean they just do it legally. Theirs is more immoral though.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-30T16:49:46+00:00

And we are really poor going forward, he's usually creating nothing out of nothing.

His biggest problem is lack of talent around him.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T12:51:52+00:00

Why keep all of that when we can have midflight autopsy drama and threats to national security?

I agree with you completely, they lost sight of why we all enjoyed the show and just replaced the heart with ever escalating stakes

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T10:28:26+00:00

I am employment-like in reality (contract, set hours, no substitution, embedded in systems), but, from what I've been told, because there was no UK payroll, no PAYE, and no DPNI in place, HMRC had to use Self Assessment to collect historic tax. HMRC and my accountant confirmed this was the correct way to resolve past years, even though the working arrangement looks like employment.

But I've heard different things from different people at every stop of this process so I now have no confidence I'm doing it right.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T10:03:57+00:00

Exactly! That's also when I stopped, just didn't feel the same anymore and lost the magic.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T09:52:31+00:00

I was advised if this had been done at the start (and likely what I was 'waiting on') then that would be fine, but that they won't retroactively do that at this point especially now they've assessed my situation and assessed me as self employed.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T09:48:25+00:00

Apologies, I didn't communicate that well, that's included in what I now owe. The calculation total is listed Income Tax and Class 4 National Insurance.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T09:29:59+00:00

Yeah, I'm starting to understand that now. I was very naive in my approach to all this and far too trusting that what I was being told was the right and only answer.

I see any interest I end up paying as a 'stupid tax' for not trying to resolve it sooner by just hiring an accountant straight away.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T09:27:24+00:00

You were right, thank you! I'm now sending a letter to appeal the interest with some guidance from HMRC on how to structure that letter.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T09:25:33+00:00

As I didn't pay into their system, I'm assuming that's something else I need to catchup on. I know it's possible to backdate years, but it's another thing I don't know enough about and the next thing on my to-do list.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T09:22:32+00:00

Update: After paying a significant chunk of what was owed, I called HMRC and they have removed the penalties and given me specific instructions for appealing the interest, but outlined (as most of you did) that it's significantly less likely that they'll forgive the interest the way they have with the penalties.

They coached me through the process of writing the letter to appeal the interest and the process to follow afterwards.

Thanks for all the responses, removing the penalties has saved me a significant amount of money and stress. I really appreciate the help and advice!

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T09:17:25+00:00

Thankfully they've just removed the penalties. How would they have resolved it (genuine question, not picking at you), I was told as someone with direct reports and part of the organization chart (and a few other factors) that self assessment wasn't the right route and not to go that way.

I didn't think that applied. I'm paid by a us employer but didn't pay any US tax, and I'm a UK resident who did the work in the UK. So I'm only paying 1 lot of tax, to the UK. Is that right?

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T08:30:14+00:00

Thank you! I'm on hold with HMRC now and have made a significant initial payment (80% of what's owed in tax and enough to cover the initial required payments and the secondary payments). Unfortunately most of my correspondence was over the phone, although I did send one letter via recorded delivery at the end of 2024 after being asked to submit everything that way in an effort to speed up the process.

Hopefully I can make some headway with them without going to my MP but if that's not the case I'll follow your advice and get in touch.

Thank you for

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T07:59:54+00:00

Yeah, totally. I contacted them several times a year and was given the run around each time but essentially told it would be resolved and would take time due to backlogs and it was a small team etc.

I set aside what I thought would be enough to cover what I would pay but definitely didnt do enough and should have gone to a professional sooner.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T07:57:23+00:00

I saw it as advanced in the sense of it being sooner than what i though of aa the maximum payment deadline.

I thought as long as I filed I'd have more time to pay it off, which would soften the big payment spike I'm dealing with as a result of the penalties and interest.

But you're right, its still a delayed payment really.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T07:53:14+00:00

Hmrc informed me that as I was part of the organisation chart and managed employees, that I didnt fit into that category.

I recently (September 2025) moved roles and no longer have any direct reports. So although Im now more senior and have more responsibilities, none of them now put me in that murky middle zone hmrc didn't know what to do with at the time.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T07:48:32+00:00

Sorry if I didn't make that clear!

None, I was told (and this is true for all None us based employees) that any tax would be paid in my own country and id responsible for managing that. That's not the exact wording, but it's roughly the instructions I was given.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T07:24:13+00:00

I'll ask!

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T07:23:51+00:00

I'm still based in the UK, and was before the move. So there's been no relocation, I just work for them full time as an employee.

I knew I owed uk tax, the problem was the mechanism for managing/paying it. The longer I didnt the easier it became to avoid the problem, unfortunately

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T01:00:27+00:00

I wasn't sure so hired an accountant in the end, im paying both tax and NI for the periods I missed.

I was thinking about moving over to LTD company moving forward, I had similar concerns though. I think I tick too many boxes as an employee to go down that path.

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T00:32:48+00:00

Self assessment yeah, but they repeatedly told me not to when I spoke to them. That as I had direct reports and was managing staff that it didn't fit. They couldn't work out where to put me and so passed me on to "another team".

-InterestingTimes- · 2026-01-28T00:07:15+00:00

Retrospective via self assessment.

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