Don’t get knocked up by a bailiff…
February 10th, 2012 • 9 Comments
So you’re in the brown sticky stuff and the bailiffs are knocking on your door. So besides pocketing your smart phone in your (brown) trousers and stashing your gold (in the time honoured stash place), what can you friendly neighbourhood Bitterwallet team do to help you in this sticky situation?
Well, debt advice charity the Money Advice Trust has launched an initiative to encourage consumers to stand up for their rights against bailiffs. After having first found out what they are, of course.
Bailiffs are commonly used to collect council tax arrears or to enforce a court judgment, but they can also used to collect parking fines and penalties, tax debt, or child support arrears. Once a bailiff has gained entry by peaceable means, they can return to take your goods and break in if you don’t let them in.
However, contrary to popular opinion, bailiffs are not vampires and do not need an actual invitation to gain entry by peaceable means- leaving a door or window unlocked is all the access they need, and once they’ve been in once, they can come back to take your stuff.
But even the conscientious door closers among you may instead be faced with bailiffs who try to blag their way into a property. Some of the most common techniques witnessed by National Debtline are:
“Can I come in to use your toilet?”;
“I’m from the local council, can I come in?”;
“We have a warrant, so you have to let us in.”
You can even share your best lines on that Twitter using the imaginative #bailiffblags hash tag. If you have nothing better to do.
Joanna Elson OBE, Chief Executive of the Money Advice Trust, said: “The rules and regulations around bailiffs can be quite complicated and so it is not fair to expect your average person in the street to know all the specifics. However there are some rules of thumb that are very useful to be aware of, and one of those is to not let the bailiffs in your property. This means locking doors and windows, and not falling for some of these blags.”
The rules are complicated, and even the Office of Fair Trading recently came up with some new rules on debt collection, handily summarised for us by Len.
“The most important thing is to get some free advice immediately. Organisations like National Debtline and CCCS can talk you through your rights over the phone, even whilst the bailiff is waiting outside,” added Ms Elson, conveniently.
Of course, you are all probably far too sensible to be faced with a fictitiously-full-bladdered bailiff, but just in case you are, Money Advice Trust’s Top Five Tips are:
> If the bailiffs have not been into your home before to collect this debt, they have no right to come in. They cannot break in. You can choose not to let them in;
> By law the police should not force you to allow a bailiff in. Bailiffs will sometimes call the police and ask them to force you to let them in, as many police are unaware of the complex laws and regulations involved;
> Don’t sign anything. If the bailiff leaves papers for you to sign and return, you do not have to do this. You don’t have to sign agreements posted through your door either;
> Except in rent arrears cases, bailiffs cannot take goods which are rented or hired or that belong entirely to someone else. This includes goods on hire purchase agreements.
Save yourself £100- the Bitterwallet step by step guide to online registration for Self Assessment
December 30th, 2011 • 5 CommentsSo. It is no longer Christmas and it is not yet New Year. If you find yourself with some spare time on your hands that you’d rather not spend with your relatives, why not let your thoughts turn to your 2010/11 Self Assessment tax return. This is not as strange as it sounds- last year some 845 people filed their online tax return on Christmas Day and a further 2,408 submitted their self-assessment data on 26 December, according to official HMRC figures.
Importantly for this tax return period, any late returns will get an automatic £100 penalty. You probably know this was also the case last year, but last year, if you didn’t actually owe any money, they would reduce the penalty down to nil. No such reductions will apply from now on- if you are a few seconds after the deadline you will have to pay the full amount, with no reduction at all. Ever.
But why would you want to think about it now? After all, the filing deadline isn’t until 31 January 2012 which is practically months away. Well, the crucial point to note is that the paper deadline was actually 31 October 2011, so all returns filed now need be online returns. HMRC’s own online tax return software is relatively simple to use and can cope with most ordinary situations. However, in order to use this online software you need to register for the online service.
The registration process is quite simple, but knowing and loving you, dear readers, as we do, we thought you might need a handy step-by-step guide. Just in case.
Step by step guide
Find an intermaweb portal and log on to www.hmrc.gov.uk and bask in Moira’s stern look. Click on “Register- new users” in the Do it Online* box, top left (picture 1, for the intellectually challenged)
On the next screen, click on “Register”. Just in case you weren’t sure the first time.
Next, you need to select what type of user you are. There are only four choices, so we are going to assume you are an individual. Click on it.
You are then asked which service you are looking to register for. Put a tick in the Self-Assessment (SA) box and click next.
The following screen informs you that you will need your UTR, and National Insurance Number or Postcode to continue. Assuming you do not need the latter two explaining, your UTR is a ten digit number, often displayed in two groups of five numbers (12345 67890) that should be shown on Self Assessment correspondence from HMRC and certainly on your blank tax return form, or Notice to complete a tax return letter you should have received last April. If you do not have a UTR, have not completed a tax return before, or you can’t find or remember it, it is better that you realise this now while there is still time to do something about it. There is a UTR help section at the bottom of this article. Cause we’re nice like that.
Anyway, once you click next you will receive a dramatic warning, that we have handily de-sensationalised and added common sense:
You will get a User ID soon. Remember/print off/save the email with your User ID number and wait to get a Government Gateway letter in the post. This should take seven days. The letter will contain an activation pin. You will then need to log back into the system with the User ID you were given and the password you create (in a minute) and enter this PIN number.
Obviously this is a bit of a faff and will probably take a week or so. This is why we are telling you this now.
On the following screens you need to accept the terms and conditions, enter your full name and a valid email address, and then create a password. You will then get to the User ID page. THIS IS NOT THE END!
Remember that UTR, NI number and/or postcode you were told you would need? This is where you need them. Click next and enter your UTR, NI number and/or postcode. Click submit.
This is the crunch point. If it has worked successfully, you will see a screen informing you that registration has been successful and that your activation PIN is winging its merry way to you. Once you receive this (as above) you will be able to log in and use the HMRC Self Assessment online tax return preparation software. Job’s a good’un.
If you get an error message, you will need to take further action, namely ringing the HMRC Self Assessment helpline. Before you do so, make sure you have been to the toilet, have a cup of tea and a comfy chair. You will be on the phone a long time. It takes 2 minutes 42 seconds of option selecting before you can even get to wait on hold. And you will hold for many, many minutes.
UTR issues
If you can’t remember your UTR number, or you can’t remember if you were sent a tax return to complete, you will also need to ring the HMRC hotline. They will need to send the UTR out to you by post (they will not give these details over the phone). Another reason why we are telling you this now.
If you think you need to complete a tax return but have not done so previously, you will probably need to get a UTR (because you won’t already have one). This is a separate option on the myriad of repetitive menus on the automated HMRC helpline, and once requested, can take up to 28 days to arrive. In the post. This is why we are telling you now.
Note that it is entirely your responsibility to complete a tax return if you need to (ie if you know you have unpaid tax, by being self-employed or making a capital gain for example) even if HMRC are completely oblivious and have not sent you a return to complete. If they have sent you a return, you must complete it even if you do not owe any tax, or you will get the statutory £100 penalty.
Paying your tax
Any outstanding tax due at the end of the year is due on 31 January as well, and the first Payment on Account for next year’s liability, if applicable, is also due on this date. Even if you cannot afford to pay your tax bill straight away, do file your return on time- as mentioned above, there are no longer mitigations of the standard penalty amount. Tax paid up to 28 days late will only be charged late interest, with no additional surcharge until 28 February 2012.
*although the Revenue website enables you to do lots of things online, it does not have a function to allow you to do that.
Spam SMS from loan companies – what you should (and shouldn’t) do
August 26th, 2011 • 10 Comments
Every couple of months we receive an email like this one from avid Bitterwallet reader Stephen. We keep receiving them because the world is still full of low-life loan companies that will do anything to take your money.
So here’s Stephen’s dilemma, along with some background on about why businesses harass consumers with SMS messages:
I keep getting calls and text messages (5 or more per day) from finance companies about debt, loans etc. I have debt but no missed payments – I’m paying everything on time. Not sure where they got my details from but it started a month or so ago.
“Hi, do you need cash now? No guarantor, 95% approvals in August. Get up to £750 today! www.fastresultuk.co.uk…..”
“Your loan has been approved for up to 15k…. www.mrborrower.co.uk…”
“Get up to 300…. www.txtcash.co.uk/sc …”
“Your loan has been approved for up to 15k …www.ukapprovalsite.co.uk…”
“Gr8 news… call 01613780109…”
All the texts come from different mobile numbers 07…. and include these words at the end of the text “reply STOP…”. I replied STOP to two of the texts but they keep coming even more.
How do I stop them?
The worst thing you can do when receiving these types of text messages, is to reply “STOP”. In fact, that’s exactly what they want you to do.
As we’ve seen in the past, there are people who make their money by selling consumer databases to anybody who’ll pay, regardless of whether they have permission to sell the information. Some of that data may be out of date – a person may have moved house or changed their phone number, so these companies are sometimes texting numbers blindly in the hope of a lead.
By replying “STOP” you’re actually confirming the number is still active. You then become a verified contact and your information becomes more valuable; not only will you be spammed by text even more, but you’ll most likely have your details sold on again because they’re still in use.
A quick check of the four websites mentioned by Stephen reveals two of them are the same company using different names, and all of them have two traits in common – there are no direct contact details other than email forms; and you’ve never heard of any of them. Meanwhile the text that provides a phone number is from a company hated by anyone who has the misfortune to contact them or answer a call from them.
The reason you’ve never seen or heard of these companies before is because they’re doing things on the cheap and sly. Buying marketing lists costs hundreds of pounds and create little awareness. That’s good for them, because people are less likely to complain if they think it’s just them being spammed. Meanwhile, television and press campaigns cost tens of thousands of pounds at the bare minimum, but also puts them on the radar of the authorities.
So what can you do if you’re being bombarded by these texts? You could register your number with TPS (Telephone Preference Service) for free. In theory when your mobile number is registered with TPS, marketeers can’t contact you without your express permission. In practice, that simply doesn’t happen. If you supply your number to a business just once, there’s the chance that number can be sold on and then sold to whoever wants it.
The only cast-iron way to ensure a mobile number doesn’t receive unwanted SMS messages is either a) never enter your mobile number into any sort of online form or printed form, or b) discontinue the number, start afresh and follow the first option to the letter. That’s inconvenient, but it may just be worth it.
The Bitterwallet guide to all those fiddly tax rates and limits
July 13th, 2011 • 3 CommentsWe like simple things here at Bitterwallet. But we also like paying as little tax as possible. So we thought we’d combine these two loves of our life in the attached “Bitterwallet quick reference guide to all those fiddly tax rates and limits“. And there are no complicated schemes, just useful information on how you can stay within your limits. Tax limits that is. You can drink as many units of alcohol as you like while reading it…
Enjoy.
The Bitterwallet quick reference guide to all those fiddly tax rates and limits.
Following the News Of The World phone-hacking allegations over the past couple of days, thousands of angry consumers have risen up and spoken out against those companies that advertise in the paper, in an attempt to hit the Screws where it counts – in the pocket.
Here’s a quick recap as to what you can do if you want to join in…
* If you’re a Twitter user, you could send messages to them – here’s a simple-to-use page that allows you to send tweets to some NOTW advertisers with the greatest of ease.
* Or, if you prefer an even more personal approach, you might consider emailing senior executives at some of those companies. Click here for a PDF containing a list of email addresses. There’s also a version of the list here in an Excel file, which you could use to mail-merge if that’s your sort of thing.
* Alternatively, if you’d like to contact the Press Complaints Commission, @msjenniferjames adds that “For the form, the codes violated by #NOTW are: 3.1, 5.1, 10.1 and 16.2.”
(’Tweet This’ list created by @The_Z_Factor, @thegreatgonzo and @profanityswan, and email addresses compiled by @EroticPuffin)
How to let News Of The World advertisers know how you feel about them funding phone-hacking
July 5th, 2011 • 36 Comments
So, unless you read certain newspapers (mainly those published by News International), you’ll be aware that a pretty serious allegation has been made against the News Of The World. Namely that a private investigator employed by the paper hacked into the mobile phone of Millie Dowler while she was missing in 2002.
It is alleged that as part of his work for the News Of The World, Glenn Mulcaire intercepted some messages and deleted others once Millie’s voicemail inbox was full – thereby creating false hope that Millie was in fact still alive and that she had deleted the messages herself.
If it’s true, you might agree that it’s reprehensible stuff, truly beyond the pale. You might also be wondering if there’s any action you can take, as a consumer, that will let the News Of The World know how you feel about this. You could stop buying it. But what if you don’t actually buy the paper – you can’t stop buying something you don’t buy to begin with. Is there anything else you can do?
Luckily, what with the modern world being what it is, there most definitely is. You could register your disgust with the companies that advertise in the News Of The World and try to persuade them not to promote their wares within the paper’s tawdry pages.
If you’re a Twitter user, you could send messages to them – here’s a simple-to-use page that allows you to send tweets to some NOTW advertisers with the greatest of ease.
Or, if you prefer an even more personal approach, you might consider emailing senior executives at some of those companies. Click here for a PDF containing a list of email addresses. There’s also a version of the list here in an Excel file, which you could use to mail-merge if that’s your sort of thing.
Alternatively, if you’d like to contact the Press Complaints Commission, @msjenniferjames adds that “For the form, the codes violated by #NOTW are: 3.1, 5.1, 10.1 and 16.2.”
Of course, we should reiterate that the allegations about the Millie Dowling phone hacking haven’t been proven as yet, but we won’t exactly be putting our houses on it all being a load of made-up guff.
(’Tweet This’ list created by @thegreatgonzo, and email addresses compiled by @EroticPuffin)
Is my PAYE tax code right? The Bitterwallet guide to how your tax code works
June 29th, 2011 • 5 Comments
This week, HM Revenue and Customs announced that their annual reckoning of tax collected under PAYE will soon be calculated, and unsuspecting taxpayers will get a nice, or nasty surprise in the mail.
Although the new system is no, supposedly, working properly, HMRC expects that any repayment cheques for the overtaxed will be sent out in August and September. Calculations for those who owe money will be sent in batches after that, with the last going out in December and up to £3,000 per individual will be collected this time via PAYE , more than the previous limit of £2,000. The money will be taken from their earnings each month via a change to their PAYE tax code for 2012/13.
Of course, PAYE was introduced to make income tax payment and collection easier for the huge percentage of employed taxpayers in the UK. Assuming your PAYE notice of coding works properly, you should never face a large tax bill, or a large tax repayment, at the end of any tax year.
However, PAYE codes are a blinking mystery to most people (and many accountants), but if you don’t know if your code is right or wrong, how can you advise HMRC when it needs changing to avoid that potential hefty bill. And do you trust them to get it right at the end of the day? Seriously?
How do I decipher my tax code?
PAYE codes are normally comprised of three numbers either preceded by or succeeded by a letter and adding a ‘5′ to the end of the three numbers will give you the tax-free allowance applied to your earnings, for example, if your notice of coding reads 747L, your tax-free allowance is £7,475; if 240T, then your allowance is £2,405. Simples.
The letter used does not really matter for the purposes of deciphering your tax code unless that letter is a K. Many people with company cars will have a K code, which basically means your benefits are more than your personal allowances, so these codes add notional extra income to your salary to make sure you pay more tax on a monthly or weekly basis than your salary alone would suggest.
The numbers
The standard, non-adjusted tax code for 2011/12 is 747L, which equals the normal personal allowance of £7,475 per annum. If your tax code is 747L, you are just getting the benefit of a full allowance, with no deductions for things like company benefits in kind or untaxed income. If your tax affairs are simple, you can probably breathe a sigh of relief and go off and do something else.
However, if your tax code is different, or you do have benefits that ought to be included in your tax code, you need to understand the numbers behind it. When HMRC send you the notification of your tax code, you should receive a document with some numbers on. On one side of the page are your allowances and the other side is for deductions. The easiest way to imagine the system is as a set of scales.
On the allowances side, most people will start with 7,475. To this side will be added any extra allowances due, such as additional age related allowances for those over 65/75 or blind person’s allowance. If you earn, or are expected to earn over £100,000, you will either get no allowance or a reduced allowance on this side. Read the rest of this entry »
We have previously told you lot about ISAs being A Good Thing, after all, anything that involves you keeping all your money and the taxman having none of it couldn’t be anything else.
However, because an ISA is a tax-free Government Scheme, there are Rules. And not the type that are meant to be broken. Breaking ISA rules means it will lose its lovely tax-free status and all your interest or investment gain will be subject to tax as usual. Which is not a good thing. So we thought we would furnish you lot with a quick breakdown of what you need to know about investing in, and withdrawing cash from an ISA. Cause we’re nice like that.
1. How much can I invest in an ISA
If you are lucky enough to have spare cash coming out of your ears, you need to be aware that there are limits people. Annual limits on investment that is. For 2011/12 (the tax year that we are in now) you can invest up to £10,680 a year (or £890 a month) in a stocks and shares ISA, or half those amounts (£5,340 a year/£445 a month) into a cash ISA. There is nothing stopping you having both a cash and stocks and shares ISA, but the total you can invest remains the same at £10,680.
This limit will increase every year with inflation. Looks like it might be quite a bit more next year then.
2. Can I take my money out?
Yes. It’s your money. Unless the ISA product you have purchased ties you in for any length of time, you can take your money out willy nilly, if, for example you needed to go to Thailand or something. Even if you are in a fixed duration account you can still get your money, you will just face a loss of interest penalty or the like.
However (and this is a big HOWEVER), withdrawing money does not then replenish your annual limits on investment. If you invest £10,000 and then withdraw £8,000 of it, you still only have £680 limit left. That £8,000 can never again become tax-free savings (well, not in this tax year anyway) so make sure you spend it on something really good. Like bacon.
3. Can I transfer my ISA to another bank/building society/ISA provider?
Yes, but you have to do it properly. If you just take it out and try to reinvest it, you will find yourself in the same situation as above. You have to formally request to transfer your ISA and the banks/providers will do it between themselves within strict time limits from the date of request. Again, NEVER EVER remove the cash yourself.
In many cases, with cash ISAs, it will pay you to transfer your ISA, as i the cash has been invested for any length of time, you may find your interest rate is, well, not very interesting. We have already told you this.
4. Can my small children invest in an ISA?
No. Well, not yet. Currently you need a National Insurance Number to open an ISA account, which means you need to be at least age 16. However, as the Government scrapped the highly popular and lucrative* tax-free saving vehicle known as the Child Trust Fund (CTF), they decided to invent Junior ISAs instead.
Junior ISAs are definitely on the way- they were included in this year’s Budget- but the details have not been ironed out. It is expected they will work in a similar way to cash ISAs for grown ups.
5. What does ISA stand for?
Individual Savings Account. Numpty.
*this may be sarcasm.
UPDATE – avid Bitterwallet reader Mark says: “Be careful with this. I installed it last night (legally – I have a dev license) and this morning I can’t get onto the App Store. It’s beta software.”
On Monday, Apple unveiled iOS5, the new operating system for iPhones, iPads and the iPod Touch. It has lots of fancy bells and whistles, plenty of features that critics believe should have been available from the start and more than a few that mimic those offered by competitors and app developers.
iOS5 won’t be available for some time, however. Developers can get their hands on it so they can start building and testing apps in preparation for its rollout, but if you’re an ordinary punter then you’ll have to wait.
Except you may not have to, because an Apple fanboi has already figured out how to get it onto your handset, without any complicated jailbreaking.
The work of Mert Erdir from Turkey has already been picked up and verified by the likes of Gizmodo. We’ve attempted the method below, but twice ran into error messages on iTunes while trying to install the update. It’s possible Apple have already nailed shut the back door that Mert was using, or it’s possible that your technologically backwards Bitterwallet hacks didn’t do it properly.
Regardless, the method for upgrading to iOS5 is below; we’ll add the disclaimer that what you do with your iPhone is up to you – don’t come crying to us if the result of attempting this is an expensive paperweight:
Download and install iOS 5
1. Download the iOS 5 IPSW file from the web (it’s easy and readily available. Just Google it and torrent it down).
2. Update your iPhone using iTunes. To do this, connect your iPhone to your computer, click on the Check for Update button with the Option (Mac) or Shift (PC) key pressed. Select the iOS 5 IPSW file from the place you downloaded it to.
3. Wait until it upgrades. A new activation screen will appear.Activate iOS 5
1. Triple click the home button. This will activate the Voice Over.
2. Triple click the home button and Emergency Call will appear.
3. Click on Emergency Call and, while it’s switching, swipe with your three fingers down.
4. The Notification Center will appear!
5. Click on the Weather widget. The Weather app will load.
6. Click on the home button to exit to the iPhone’s springboard.
via [Gizmodo]
What happens if a bank goes bust? How to make sure your savings are protected
May 25th, 2011 • 7 Comments
We’re feeling a little nostalgic here at BW. With Iceland being top of the popularity stakes again owing to its latest volcanic ash spluttering, we remembered the sterling job Icelanders (and specifically Icesave) did in shafting UK customers out of their money (including numerous local councils) back at the height of the banking crisis.
Of course, these weren’t the only banks to go bump, Northern Rock having the dubious honour of being the first UK bank to stumble to its knees. So we thought, in case you are having flashbacks and fretting about your wodges of cash, that we would give you a handy Bitterwallet guide to protecting your savings.
UK FSA regulated banks
Firstly, you are probably aware of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). This applies to savings in UK regulated banks (which is not necessarily just UK banks) and, courtesy of Northern Rock, the amount protected was increased from £50,000 to £85,000 per person, per licensed institution. Get in.
Two important points to note- the limit is per person, so joint accounts get double, but you do need to be aware if you have different accounts with lots of money in, please consider donating to the impoverished writers’ fund you need to make sure they are not only covered by one single licence, so you would therefore only get one lot of £85,000 protection.
For example, Santander recently acquired the retail banking of other institutions, like Bradford & Bingley and Alliance & Leicester. These accounts are under the single licence of Santander, so you only get one lot of £85,000. However, the HBOS/Lloyds takeover retained the two banks’ separate licences, so you get £85,000 for HBOS and £85,000 for Lloyds TSB. But don’t forget- accounts with Lloyds and C&G will both come under the Lloyds licence, and accounts with Halifax, Birmingham Midshires and the AA (!).
A similar deal applies with building societies. The biggest one to watch out for is the Nationwide, Derbyshire, Cheshire and Dunfermline all share a single FSCS compensation limit.
But what about non-UK banks?
Banks from outside the EEA who want to trade in the UK will have to get an FSA licence so you will be covered. However EEA banks (which included Icelandic banks) do not have to, they can instead rely on the EEA Passport scheme.
However, you might still be OK. The FSA has a FSCS top-up list of overseas banks that operate in the UK but who have subscribed to the FSCS. These include ICICI, Citibank, Egg and Firstsave.
But do not fear. After the Icelandic situation, in December 2010, the maximum compensation offered under the EEA Passport scheme was increased to €100,000, which, on current rates, works out at a smidge more than the UK’s £85,000. Although it does mean that you will have to deal with European bureaucrats instead of just UK ones at the FSA.
And that is perhaps the point. Although this protection exists, to actually have to go through the process of claiming the compensation is likely to be a long drawn out and stressful affair. The good news is that, even at the depths of the financial crisis, the Government preferred to bail banks out, than let them go to compensation. Of course, there is no guarantee that they would do the same again, which is why the guarantee scheme is important. Either that, or get a Very Large Mattress.
Why Spotify is an iTunes-killer worth paying for
April 18th, 2011 • 26 CommentsLast week’s announcement that Spotify is to restrict its free service elicited much handwringing and no little anger from folks who think unlimited access to a world of music isn’t worth a fiver a month.
Each to their own, but for many music fans Spotify now fulfils pretty much all of their music needs, especially now that the service allows you to store music offline, and add your own music files to supplement its catalogue. After a couple of years of hype, Spotify is finally justifying its reputation as an iTunes-killer. And, from a consumer viewpoint, it’s so cheap and easy to use it makes illegal downloading seem entirely pointless.
One of the most frequently heard complaints about Spotify is that its catalogue doesn’t include certain artists and tracks. Although Spotify has signed deals with every major label, some artists (The Beatles, Bob Dylan, AC/DC etc) have chosen not to make their music available on the service. In addition, as we’ve previously reported, some labels have been playing funny beggars with new releases, removing them from the Spotify catalogue after an initial promotional period. But I’m sitting here now listening to The Beatles via Spotify, and I can in fact listen to anything I want via the service, regardless of what Yoko Ono wants.
Adding your own tracks to Spotify is so simple it hardly merits a tutorial, but few users seem to realise it’s even possible. All you need to do is open the Spotify desktop client, create a new playlist, and drag and drop in your music files. (Spotify plays mp3s but can’t play iTunes’s pesky DRM-protected m4p files, but you can blame Apple for that).
Once you’ve added your own tracks to Spotify, you’ll see a musical note icon appear to the right of the track name to denote they’re local files. They’ll then show up in searches and in artist listings, and Spotify will even pull across cover images. If your files are missing any tags, you can use the integrated Gracenote search to identify them.
A major bonus is that Spotify’s desktop client is much more user friendly than bloated, resource-draining iTunes. Even the most devoted Apple addict must despair while waiting for clunky iTunes to update and sync. But Spotify updates are so effortless you barely notice them, and syncing to your mobile device is ingeniously fast.
You’ll need a Premium account, at £9.99 a month, to access Spotify on your mobile, but once you’ve got that you can access the entire catalogue from your handset, including the local tracks you’ve added via your desktop. All you need to do is make sure your mobile and computer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network, open up Spotify on both, and mark the playlist as ‘Available Offline’ on your mobile. The tracks appear on your mobile almost immediately, probably faster than you could download them. (I should add that the first time I tried syncing local tracks nothing happened, but closing and reopening Spotify on desktop and mobile immediately fixed things.)
So you’ve got access to the entire Spotify catalogue, plus up to 3,333 of your own tracks (that’s the off-line storage limit for each device) instantly, on your desktop or mobile. Spotify isn’t perfect, of course. The ‘What’s new’ and ‘Radio’ functions are essentially useless, and a decent method needs to be found for sorting playlists. But even completely sidestepping the ethical and legal arguments against music piracy, the question is, with a solution this elegant and efficient at your fingertips, why bother?
How to use the Amazon App Store in the UK
March 29th, 2011 • 22 Comments
If you’re taken by the idea of the Amazon App Store and their free App-A-Day promotions, then tough. The service is blocked in territories outside the US, so you’ll be getting none of their exclusive promotions or offers on Android apps. Bah.
Nah, not really. The clever people at About Everything have already figured out how to get around it by creating dummy accounts.
If you’re interested, then Androinica have broken their tutorial down into the easier steps below:
1. Register for an e-mail address or use a throw-away account. DO NOT USE your current email address tied to Amazon because entering fake information is grounds to have your account suspended.
2. Register for a new account on Amazon using the disposable email address. Again, DO NOT use your regular Amazon account or email address.
3. Enter information as if you were based in the U.S. Go to www.fakenamegenerator.com for help in this regard. Enter the name, address, phone number, and credit card number (Amex, Mastercard, Visa ).
4. Download the Amazon App Store APK to your phone. Follow this tutorial for help in getting it on your phone.
5. Browse the Amazon App Store from your phone! You will not be able to access paid apps, but you can at least get the free apps that are exclusive to Amazon.
[About Everything] via [Adroinica]
Don’t pay your £100 Self Assessment penalty
February 25th, 2011 • 5 Comments
picture by Sammi_babe at www.sxc.hu. Think the £2.50 is for me.
Are you one of those lucky* people who have just had a letter from HMRC land on your mat? No, unfortunately this is not one of those occasions where they have suddenly discovered they owe you several hundred pounds, nor is it another notification that they are writing off some tax you genuinely do owe. No, this is one of those letters informing you that you are being landed with a £100 penalty for late submission of a tax return.
Of course, everybody knows that tax returns are due in on 31 January don’t they- after all, Moira was hiding in our cupboards under the stairs for months making sure we knew, so there’s no excuse for missing the deadline. Well, OK, there is a list of reasonable excuses, and if you find yourself in possession of one of these limited edition letters, you may want to read them very carefully.
What’s not reasonable
But before going into the ins and outs of what is reasonable, let’s look at things that are not a reasonable excuse.
First and foremost, forgetting or being too busy are not going to cut the mustard, nor is failing to realise that paper returns were actually due by 31 October and you should have gone online. Blaming your agent won’t get you anywhere either- at least not with the Revenue, as it is your responsibility to make sure your return is file on time, but you may be able to claim against the agent personally. Finally, thinking your tax return was just a bit too hard, which may be valid given your individual brain power, is unfortunately not a valid excuse.
So give me something to go on…
Of course there are genuine circumstances where circumstances prevailed to prevent you from completing your return, and HMRC helpfully publish a list on their website of things they consider, sometimes grudgingly, to be reasonable excuses:
- documents being lost through theft, fire or flood that you can’t replace in time
- not just a serious illness, but a life-threatening illness, eg a heart attack that prevents you dealing with your tax affairs
- the death of a partner shortly before the filing date – the list does not specifically refer to children, but guidance elsewhere includes close relatives so if your nippers kick the bucket, you should be OK, provided you can show that you’d taken steps to prepare the return before this happened if necessary
- industrial action by Royal Mail over a lengthy period of time
- issues with the online filing service, where no work-round was available – you’ll need to provide the error message you received
If you want to appeal against the penalty you need to respond on a form SA355, which can be downloaded from the HMRC website, tick the relevant box, and provide details of the extremely reasonably excusing situation you found yourself in at the end of January.
What if the penalty is, well, wrong?
Of course it is (just about) conceivable that a Government department might, perchance, get it wrong. Occasionally. And if you genuinely did submit your return on time, you are gonna be mighty peeved with a £100 bill.
Unfortunately, the burden of proof is on you to show that you did, in fact, submit your return on time. If you did it online, as you would have had to after 31 October, you should have received an email acknowledgement from the Government Gateway quoting a unique IR mark number that you can quote back to them to prove your return was submitted in time.
What if the penalty is right?
It could be that you plain forgot, it could be that you forgot to press send, or that you lost some vital piece of information that delayed you completing your return. If your return genuinely was late, you may think it’s fair dos.
However, the 2009/10 tax return, the one that was due on 31 January 2011 was the last return where, if you had paid all the tax you owed by 31 January (which was also the payment deadline) you would actually be OK, as the amount of your Self Assessment penalty is ‘capped’ for some individuals (but not partnerships) which means that the penalty can’t be more than the amount of tax unpaid at 31 January. If this does apply to you, the penalty should be automatically adjusted, but if not, ring up your local Tax Office and point this out to them.
If you didn’t submit your return on time, and you didn’t pay your tax, quite frankly, it’s tough. But what did you expect? Numpty.
*may not actually be lucky in the recognised sense of the word
Consumer heavyweight Len Dastard’s guide to Wills – Part 2
February 22nd, 2011 • 4 Comments
Eliz fin de semana, avid Bitterwallet readers and wrestling fans alike. Yes, it is I, Len Dastard! Once again, I shall apply my legendary-yet-imaginary grip, Estrangular el Caballo, to the throat of consumer advice – and death to your horse if you dare challenge me. You’re welcome.
You may remember my introductory piece on Wills. And yes, you may relive that momentous occasion right here. Comencemos…
What do Executors do?
• Obtain details of outstanding debts and bills and repay these
• Transfer gifts to beneficiaries
• Call in assets
• Find out about all assets (property and investments)
• Arrange for valuables and property to be professionally valued
• Make funeral arrangements and organise payment
• Complete and submit all Probate Registry forms
Executors that are family or friends usually do not get paid but you may give them a modest cash gift in your Will as a ‘thank you’. Professional executors are appointed as individual people/organisations and therefore are usually paid their normal fees.
‘Trusts’ contained in a Will – what are they and how do they work?
If you have young children (under 18) who you wish to include in your Will it is common to provide for them by way of a trust. This means that an adult (as trustee) looks after the children’s assets until the children can take control of them themselves. There are different trusts that can be put in place. Please get in contact if you would like me to
specifically deal with these. I haven’t yet as they have the potential to take up a whole article.
What happens to property in joint names?
Some time ago I wrote many words on owning property in joint names – you can find it here. A joint-tenant cannot make a gift in a Will of their share of the property as there is no such share. The whole of the property is owned by all of its owners.
Can I choose anyone to witness me signing a Will?
No. Whoever witnesses your signature cannot be a beneficiary in your Will, nor married to a beneficiary. They must be over 18 years of age, of sound mind and not blind. You will need two witnesses who must both be present when you sign and date your Will. They are only there to witness your signature and do not need to know the content of the Will.
You should then leave your Will in a safe place and ensure your executors and family know where is it being kept. Your executors will need the original Will, not a copy.
That, amigos, is the end of Part 2! I was gripped, I hope you were too. In our final installment we will cover what happens if you do not have a Will (Rules of Intestacy) and also how to avoid the taxman – a topic that we should all try and get familiar with.
If you have any issues that you would like me to tackle then please contact me at hello@bitterwallet.com. Until then, permanezca vivo! Or alternatively, make a Will.
How to reclaim your unused Tesco Clubcard vouchers
February 16th, 2011 • 183 Comments
If you’re a Tesco Clubcard holder, here’s a handy tip from avid HotUKDeals user ds2000 that seems to have gone down well and could see some of you making some great savings that you might not have known you were entitled to.
We’ll leave it to ds2000 to explain
https://secure.tesco.com/clubcard/myaccount/home.aspx
This might not be great for everyone if you keep on top of your Tesco discounts, however – I’ve little doubt some of you are a bit like me and have forgotten Tesco’s love
Simply go to the link posted, you’ll need your Tesco card handy to log in.
Then click “Your Vouchers” on the right and hand side and see what you have/haven’t used. If you want your unused vouchers reissuing TO SPEND INSTORE – simply call 0800 59 16 88 – with the voucher reference from your login. To spend online simply copy the code and paste it at checkout.
Being forgetful I’ve just landed 12 months Xbox live and 2100 point for £26 – nearly 50% less than I would have paid – happy days!
For people that have moved houses/email address, its worth checking and correcting your contact details to.
So there you go – now what are you waiting for?
