gov.uk

[KannikaP]

I had to look at gov.uk regarding Capital Gains Tax. What a confusing, hard-to-understand load of bilge, and I am a well educated person.

How a 'normal' person can understand their pages I fail to see, needing and pay for an expert to explain things in plain English.

A bit like the forms needed to re-new your passport or get a UK Visa for your partner.

Totally unacceptable, but what can be done?   In plain English.........NOWT!

[retarius]

If laws cannot be understood by reasonably educated people, then they should allow lack of knowledge of the law as a defence. The US tax code was 90,000 pages loge 30 years ago, it is probably 200,000 pages long now, how can anybody, even experts, know what is in 200,000 or even 150,000 pages of legalese. It is blinking stupid. And no you should not be required to consult a $500 an hour lawyer to find out. 

[KannikaP]

11 minutes ago, retarius said:

If laws cannot be understood by reasonably educated people, then they should allow lack of knowledge of the law as a defence. The US tax code was 90,000 pages loge 30 years ago, it is probably 200,000 pages long now, how can anybody, even experts, know what is in 200,000 or even 150,000 pages of legalese. It is blinking stupid. And no you should not be required to consult a $500 an hour lawyer to find out. 

Great reply, thanks.    I could use a better word than 'blinking' !

[Madgee]

14 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

A bit like the forms needed to re-new your passport

I've got to disagree with you on that one. 
A 4-page application form of which a fair chunk is non-applicable for renewal. It even includes 'Get It Right' help boxes for each section! 

[KannikaP]

15 minutes ago, Madgee said:

I've got to disagree with you on that one. 
A 4-page application form of which a fair chunk is non-applicable for renewal. It even includes 'Get It Right' help boxes for each section! 

OK. What about CGT, or Inheritance tax. Farcical.

[topt]

47 minutes ago, Madgee said:

I've got to disagree with you on that one. 
A 4-page application form of which a fair chunk is non-applicable for renewal. It even includes 'Get It Right' help boxes for each section! 

Agreed.

[topt]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

I had to look at gov.uk regarding Capital Gains Tax. What a confusing, hard-to-understand load of bilge, and I am a well educated person.

I am guessing you are referring to CGT on property because as a non resident you don't pay it on anything else?

If so what is it you are struggling with?

[youreavinalaff]

3 hours ago, KannikaP said:

A bit like the forms needed to re-new your passport or get a UK Visa for your partner.

They are not difficult to understand.

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, Madgee said:

I've got to disagree with you on that one. 
A 4-page application form of which a fair chunk is non-applicable for renewal. It even includes 'Get It Right' help boxes for each section! 

 

By my reckoning about two-thirds of this particular form is completely irrelevant to standard renewals. On the basis that these constitute the overwhelming majority of applications for new and replacement passports processed by HMPO, is it really so unreasonable to expect those particular "geniuses" to be at least capable of devising a considerably shorter version of this form covering only the one-third which is relevant to standard renewals?

[OJAS]

2 hours ago, topt said:

I am guessing you are referring to CGT on property because as a non resident you don't pay it on anything else?

If so what is it you are struggling with?

 

Based on my own experiences of dealng with CGT-related issues following the sale of my UK property a couple of years ago, I strongly suspect that what @KannikaP may well be struggling with in particular is that there are not ONE, nor even TWO, but THREE sources of info on the gov.uk website relating to CGT!

 

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax-uk-property/start/report-pay-capital-gains-tax-uk-property?_ga=2.31492087.898625034.1633235870-1552680673.1629876543

 

https://www.gov.uk/tax-sell-property

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/capital-gains-tax-for-non-residents-uk-residential-property#CGT-report-pay

 

Is it really beyond the capability of those "geniuses" in HMRC to boil these 3 sections down to 1?

 

[it is what it is]

A bit like the forms needed to re-new your passport or get a UK Visa for your partner.

 

found that very easy, maybe you're not as well educated as you think?!

 

seriously though, i find the gov.uk site pretty straight forward and easy to use; passport, driving license, tax rebate, NHS, applying for various payments for my mum, never had any problems

[noobexpat]

5 hours ago, KannikaP said:

How a 'normal' person can understand their pages I fail to see, needing and pay for an expert to explain things in plain English.

 

Certainly keeps me busy.

 

 

[KannikaP]

10 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

By my reckoning about two-thirds of this particular form is completely irrelevant to standard renewals. On the basis that these constitute the overwhelming majority of applications for new and replacement passports processed by HMPO, is it really so unreasonable to expect those particular "geniuses" to be at least capable of devising a considerably shorter version of this form covering only the one-third which is relevant to standard renewals?

Totally agree

[KannikaP]

9 hours ago, it is what it is said:

A bit like the forms needed to re-new your passport or get a UK Visa for your partner.

 

found that very easy, maybe you're not as well educated as you think?!

 

seriously though, i find the gov.uk site pretty straight forward and easy to use; passport, driving license, tax rebate, NHS, applying for various payments for my mum, never had any problems

So you must be better educated than me and some other members here, Well done. 

No capital letters and inappropriate punctuation says it all.

[KannikaP]

10 hours ago, OJAS said:

 

Based on my own experiences of dealng with CGT-related issues following the sale of my UK property a couple of years ago, I strongly suspect that what @KannikaP may well be struggling with in particular is that there are not ONE, nor even TWO, but THREE sources of info on the gov.uk website relating to CGT!

 

https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/capital-gains-tax-uk-property/start/report-pay-capital-gains-tax-uk-property?_ga=2.31492087.898625034.1633235870-1552680673.1629876543

 

https://www.gov.uk/tax-sell-property

 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/capital-gains-tax-for-non-residents-uk-residential-property#CGT-report-pay

 

Is it really beyond the capability of those "geniuses" in HMRC to boil these 3 sections down to 1?

 

I found No 3 to be the easiest. But even so, a question like 'How many days between 6th April 2015 and 14th June 2023.......' takes some working out. (Putting the dates in Excel helps).

And thankfully it came up with a figure of ZERO to pay.

 

Any CGT must be paid within 60 days of disposal, and yet there are instructions as to how to go about reporting the disposal if it was BEFORE April 2020.  ????

[topt]

56 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

Any CGT must be paid within 60 days of disposal, and yet there are instructions as to how to go about reporting the disposal if it was BEFORE April 2020.  ????

Because that specific action was not introduced until 2020......

https://www.armstrongwatson.co.uk/news/2023/03/understanding-hmrc’s-60-day-reporting-requirement-residential-property-sales

 

Quote

If you are disposing of a residential property you may need to report the sale to HM Revenue and Customs.

This reporting regime, which is so often overlooked, was introduced on 6 April 2020 and became a requirement for UK residents selling a residential property after this date. 

 

[topt]

11 hours ago, OJAS said:

Is it really beyond the capability of those "geniuses" in HMRC to boil these 3 sections down to 1?

Yet you want the passport form split into more than 1...........

 

One of the CGT links you posted was also specifically for non-residents, which personally I find useful, as often trying to find specific non-resident tax stuff can be a pain. 

 

[OJAS]

3 hours ago, topt said:

Because that specific action was not introduced until 2020......

https://www.armstrongwatson.co.uk/news/2023/03/understanding-hmrc’s-60-day-reporting-requirement-residential-property-sales

 

 

 

And yet, once you've reported the sale to HMRC and made the necessary CGT payment online within 60 days, you're still required to include in a subsequent tax return a completed SA108 form + detailed computation sheet which more or less repeats what you've already told HMRC online! What's the bloody point of that?

 

[topt]

8 minutes ago, OJAS said:

 

And yet, once you've reported the sale to HMRC and made the necessary CGT payment online within 60 days, you're still required to include in a subsequent tax return a completed SA108 form + detailed computation sheet which more or less repeats what you've already told HMRC online! What's the bloody point of that?

 

Was that a rhetorical question........

I am only guessing but perhaps it is to do with checking or correcting the CGT rate you pay depending on your tax band when you file due to different rates?