What is Tax Help for Older People?
Tax help for older people was set up in 2004 and its service provides free, impartial and specialist advice to those close to or over the age of 60 with an income of £20,000 or less per annum.
A charitable organisation called Tax Volunteers (registered numbers in England 1102276 and Scotland SC045819) runs tax help for older people.
The Tax Volunteers organisation is based near Bridport, Dorset and is supported by a team of staff and a total of 420 volunteers throughout the UK.
These individuals provide their services free of charge for the benefit of those who are elderly and not in a financial position to pay for professional tax advice.
Most of the volunteers are either working or retired tax professionals including former HM Revenue and Customs employees.
Who can use Tax Help for Older People?
The service offered by tax help for older people is free and offers expert guidance to individuals with lower incomes (under £20,000 gross a year) which roughly works out at a £380 per week income before tax.
To qualify for free support you must be close to the age of 60 and those who are responsible for the well being of an eligible elderly individual, whether they are family members or friends can also seek assistance on their behalf.
Tax help for older people can help individuals throughout the UK with the vast majority of issues solved remotely via phone, email or correspondence (or a mixture of all three).
How can Tax Help for Older People help me?
Tax help for older people can potentially provide assistance with any individual tax issue regardless of its level of complexity (or insignificance).
They recognise that many elderly individuals may lack the confidence to engage with HMRC or may feel vulnerable and bewildered by tax related matters.
With many HMRC and other government services becoming digital this can bring another level of difficulty if you’re unable to handle online tasks.
Where necessary a volunteer can speak on your behalf with HMRC in an effort to resolve your problem.
Some examples of common topics where you may need some support include:
- Reviewing your HMRC PAYE coding notice to make sure your tax code is accurate. If it isn’t you can overpay or underpay income tax.
- Claiming back an overpayment of income tax by using the correct HMRC process.
- HMRC form completion for example a self assessment tax return.
- Responding to correspondence from HMRC.
The overall aim is to provide reassurance and peace of mind based on reliable knowledge and understanding.
How do I contact Tax Help for Older People?
The fact that support is available that isn’t just online is assuring especially if you feel more comfortable speaking to someone.
To contact tax help for older people you can phone, email or write:
Phone: 01308 488066
Email: Via an online contact form.
Correspondence:
Tax Help for Older People
Unit 10A, Pineapple Business Park
Salway Ash
Bridport
Dorset
DT6 5DB
A valuable knowledge base and resource
Tax volunteers are able to remain independent and provide objective advice and support to those in need due to the broad range of sources from which their funding comes.
These sources include LITRG and the Association of Taxation Technicians, donations and grants from trusts & foundations, the corporate sector, and central government.
The LITRG started tax help for older people in 2001. LITGR stands for low income tax reform group and is an organisation that advocates for those unable to pay for tax advice working to ensure positive change within HMRC.
The welcome reception of the tax help for older people service eventually resulted in the creation of tax volunteers as a separate charity in 2004.
The LITGR can provide help to people on low incomes (earning less than £20,000 per tax year) under the age of 60.
How to volunteer and donate to Tax Help for Older People
If you feel you have the necessary expertise to volunteer for tax help for older people you can find out more and make contact with the team here.
Like all charities donations are always welcome with more information on how to donate or raise money here.
