Double taxation agreement Germany

[Paultry]

Thanks for your recent commiserations. I'd like to expand on my experience of interactions with HMRC if I may.

1. I found that to be sure of a reply on the phone I would need to dial in at precisely 08.00.01 and would then be answered within 6 to 20 minutes.

2. The conversation would often start with a yawning noise and seemingly total indifference to my query, but not always. I had expected a perky 'Hello, how may I help you sir'.

3. Eventually my case file would be found on their system, although on one occasion I was told my files had been deleted! Generally the operatives would be clearly out of their depth at answering any of my questions. To be fair I can understand this to a degree because it did concern an overseas pension payment. In each case I was told an expert would phone me back within 48 hours. They did phone phone back but it usually took a week or so.

4. After been phoned back I could explain to an expert my situation and seek advice. I was then asked to write a letter basically reiterating the conversation. Furthermore, I was always promised my refund would then be sent to me within ten working days of receipt of the letter.

5. I learnt to phone two weeks after each letter was sent to check it had been copied and was on their system, as sometimes it wasn't, so I would write in again.

6. The most bewildering experiences I had were when talking to experts who contradicted what other experts had told me previously. On one occasion I was told to prepare a table of tax payments to the UK and Germany. I explained that this was unnecessary as I just wanted a refund, but I complied with his request. I had the strangest feeling that he was absolutely resolute in not listening to me in the slightest. I was bewildered.

So I'm sure you can all understand why I've ran out of juice over this. I assume I will receive a letter form HMRC explaining last week's refund basis, but to rev up and go through the whole palava again for 36 quid seems pointless, my time would be better spent watching paint dry.

I'm still grateful to the one individual who made the apology to me. He knew his onions and was precise, I later found out he was a big cheese in HMRC, well done-you know who you are. It's such a pity that his directions could not be followed by the minions in his wake.

One more point I should elaborate on.

The EU/EEA forms that the German tax office suggested to send to them are optional. If you were on pauper's pension payments in the UK then the tax levied in Germany would be lower, but they would need to have the forms to assess this. I have sent the forms to HMRC for authentication quite a few times but by the time they are returned they have expired, they need to be with the German tax office within three months of the end of their tax year. So it is a lost cause I'm afraid.

Paul