Natur: Referees and Tax Checks

[brummel]

Question for those who know...

I am applying for Natur as a BC.

I asked Inland Revenue to write me a reference letter to confirm that I paid taxes for the last 5 years - they got back to me saying that they haven't yet processed my tax return for the last year because of the backlog. I submitted the tax return for 03-04 this summer but they still haven't calculated my tax.

I guess there is no point applying for Natur before the tax has been accounted for, as the IND shall have to wait for the Inland Revenue anyway...

However my references have become 6 months old by now, and I have been in the UK months longer than my 5 years of residence and 1 year of ILR. I have all my application forms filled in, just waiting for the tax thing.

It would be really annoying if I have to fill it in all over again and to bother people to sign newer references.

Would IND accept the old version? They are processing people's stuff for 8 months and longer, so would they mind really if my application wasn't signed yesterday?

Help please.

[hs159]

Hi brummel,

What about submitting P60s of your last 5 years? Are they not sufficient as tax reference?

hs159

[John]

Brummel, I fear you are you inventing problems that are not actually there.

The form asks for details of your tax reference number, and no doubt you will supply that, and it asks you to supply the names etc concerning two referees, but you are not expected to actually enclose a reference from those two people.

That is, IND will contact the Inland Revenue and the two referees if they feel fit ... it is not for you to supply additional information. You do not need to supply any P60 or any other tax form showing your reference, or references from your referees. (When my wife submitted her naturalisation application in April this year, neither of the referees were contacted. However IND may well have run a check to ensure that the passport numbers supplied were not fictitious. Did they contact the Inland Revenue? Who knows? But naturalisation application granted.)

Your return to 5th April 2004? If there is any tax liability due arising from that tax return form, it will not become payable until 31.01.05. Accordingly there is no problem you submitting the naturalisation application in the near future, given that you will, no doubt, pay your tax liability, if any, on or before 31.01.05.

There is a question you did not ask .... how do I get the Inland Revenue to confirm instantly the amount of my tax liability, rather than having to wait months for them to process the tax? Simple, use the Inland Revenue's on-line self assessment tax return service. That will automatically calculate the figure to be inserted into box 18.3 on the form, the liability/repayment for the year.

So had you used that on-line service you would have know your tax situation for the year to 5th April 2004 before actually submitting the tax return form.

For future reference the on-line service can be accessed at www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk .

[brummel]

Hi people - thanks for you elaborate replies.

It does look like I am stupid, maybe... However, there are reasons why returns cannot be filed online, for example complicated returns and self administered pension stuff. The software cannot handle these. For me what matters is that IR agrees with my assessment of tax. Also, P60 only works for PAYE people.

But thanks anyway!

The question remains:
Does it matter the references were signed a while ago?

Brum