I WONDER if any readers have as much problem with HMRC as I do?

Some time ago I wrote regarding my tax assessment notice following my submission of a tax return for the financial year 2010/2011.

At that time I?had been given a tax allowance for the under 65 age group and I had been allowed the minimum married couple's allowance when I am entitled to the maximum amount. This meant that I would have paid approximately £83 per month extra in tax.

My income for 2010/2011 was about £1,100 less than the previous tax year due to the Bank of England rate being 0.5 per cent which gave savers a very low interest rate.

I had to make several phone calls and send letters. I received a reply from the complaints department at Edinburgh informing me that my complaint had been registered but they would be unable to carry out enquiries for at least 35 days due to so many complaints being received (I wonder why?).

In my complaint letter I mentioned that I had had the assistance of my MP in a previous complaint and my complaint was dealt with very quickly.

After several years of letter writing and phone calls my tax situation was corrected and I was given the correct allowances and a refund of tax at the end of August.

During that time I had dealings with the Scunthorpe, Newcastle on Tyne, Liverpool tax offices and Edinburgh complaints department.

Tax is not deducted from the state pension but the Inland Revenue make sure that pensioners with private pensions pay their tax by notifying the provider of the private pension of the state pension and are quick to notify the yearly increase.

On Friday October 7 I received a new tax coding notice from Cardiff HMRC showing that they had reviewed my tax return and assessed that my income would increase by £6,000 for the present financial year.

I was not very pleased. How on earth it can be assessed that a pensioner can receive an extra £6,000 a year, and I stress extra, when the bank rate is 0.5 per cent and bank interest rate for savers ranges from 1 per cent to 3.5 per cent depending on the length of the investment.

I am at the age where I am spending not saving. With the current mess that this country is in it is difficult to manage on pensions alone. I find that I am using my savings more and more to pay for things like repairs to the home, heating food etc. I have calculated that my grocery bill alone will be approximately £600 to £700 more now than in 2010 and I do not waste.

I phoned the Complaints Office in Edinburgh immediately and asked why my income has been assessed at £6,000 more. Fortunately the female who answered the phone took my details and on Monday, October 10, she phoned and told me that she had reversed the tax code and told me that the assessments are made automatically by computer.

I have had problems with HMRC for about 15-20 years. Please Mr Harper can you do something to employ people with common sense in that department and stop all the harassment to pensioners?

No wonder this country is in such a mess when we have the HMRC chasing pensioners for tax on income assessed.

It would seem that the tax offices are so busy making sure that pensioners pay their tax that they do not have the time to chase the big earners. I wish that I?had never saved and made sure I?had a comfortable retirement then I would not have to go through so much stress every year.

– Mrs J P Pennock, Ruardean Woodside.