I left my self assessment to the last minute and finally got the figures together on Friday (29th Jan). Then I realised that I had mislaid the user code and password for on-line filing. Grrrr.
Eventually I phoned HMRC's helpline and was told that as I had mislaid both, they would have to be posted rather than sent by email. Fair enough for security, I suppose, but that means that I have no way of filing the return by the deadline.
So I checked with the helpline chap that if I managed to find the code and password in what passes for my filing system, it would still work and wouldn't have been disabled. No problem he said - it will still work fine.
Guess what. Eventually I found the code & password, tried them online and they didn't work !
Rang the helpline again, queued for another 15 minutes and was eventually told that as I had an older code number (from 2002 rather than 2005) it had been disabled and I was stuffed (my words not hers). She apologised for me being misinformed on the previous call, logged the current call and said there was a chance that my late filing fine might be set at £0 rather than £100.
Grrrrrr and more grrrrr.
Rhys
PS Next year I won't leave it to the last minute - but that's what I've said every time.