My partner's ex is hiding 収入s to 避ける child 維持／整備 - what can we do? Heather Rogers replies

By Heather Rogers for This Is Money

Updated:

Child maintenance: My partner’s ex-husband has for years declared little or no earnings on his tax return

Child 維持／整備: My partner's ex-husband has for years 宣言するd little or no 収入s on his 税金 return

My partner's ex-husband is a self-雇うd tradesman who 支払う／賃金s little or no child 維持／整備.

The Child 維持／整備 Service are so poor that they 令状 endless letters but do nothing else as 明らかに the ex-husband has little or no 収入s.

The 収入s are 決定するd by his 税金 returns in which he has for years 宣言するd little or no 収入s.

現在／一般に he 宣言するs around £300 a month 収入s, rents a small three-bed house, runs a 先頭, has a phone, buys his food, 基金s his cannabis, spends a pointless fortune on kids' Christmas 現在のs and so on. All from his £300 a month.

I used to 報告（する）／憶測 him to HMRC using the online 報告（する）／憶測 form but they do nothing.

HMRC essentially don't seem to chase 税金 避けるing low 収入 self-雇うd people, probably because they only think about cost versus reward at a 財政上の level and not wretches like my partner's ex-husband.

My question essentially is, how do we get HMRC to do anything? It isn't just the unfairness of why should we 支払う／賃金 when he does not.?

The knock-on 影響 of the 税金 回避 filters 負かす／撃墜する through many other 立ち往生させるs.

You see it all the time in sob story TV programmes which always feature a woman bringing up kids on her own with no money 非難するing the 政府 and they never ever ask, what about the wretch or wretches who fathered the kids?

SCROLL DOWN TO FIND OUT HOW TO ASK HEATHER YOUR TAX QUESTION

Heather Rogers replies: Unfortunately, you and your partner are not the only people to find yourself in this 状況／情勢.?

In a 事例／患者 a couple of years ago, a company director hid his six-人物／姿／数字 salary, （人命などを）奪う，主張するing he was only 収入 £175 per week.

He was 告発（する），告訴（する）／料金d after an 調査 by the CMS 財政上の 調査 部隊 with 詐欺 by misrepresentation, and 宣告，判決d and ordered to 支払う／賃金 the child 維持／整備 借りがあるd.

Here, I will explain how the child 維持／整備 system 作品, and how it relates to 宣言 of income and 潜在的に 税金 回避, before turning to your 明確な／細部 状況／情勢 and what 活動／戦闘 you and your partner might take now.

What is child 維持／整備?

Child 維持／整備 covers how your child or children's living costs will be paid when one of the parents doesn't live with the child.

It is paid when you've separated or even if you were never in an actual 関係. There must be a child 維持／整備 協定 in place if your child is under 16 or under 20 if they are still in 十分な-time education.

Both parents are 責任がある the costs of raising the child, 関わりなく whether they see them. Arranging to see your child is a separate 問題／発行する.

The 政府 explains how child 維持／整備 支払い（額）s are calculated here.

いつかs things don't work out and either the 支払う／賃金ing parent doesn't 支払う／賃金 or tries to 避ける 支払う／賃金ing the 権利 量 by not 宣言するing all their income.

HMRC 供給するs the basis of the income for the 査定／評価. This could be 税金 returns income, 雇用 income and income from a 商売／仕事.

It is, however, just the basis. You can also ask for other income and expenses to be taken into account.

What if you think the child 維持／整備 is wrong?

If you 同意しない with a 決定／判定勝ち（する）, you can ask for it to be looked at again, or may be able to go straight to 控訴，上告. 控訴，上告s are heard by HM 法廷，裁判所s and 法廷s Service.

If you think the income 宣言するd by the 支払う／賃金ing parent is wrong, you should challenge and raise it with the CMS. They have a team called the CMS 財政上の 調査s 部隊 which may look into it その上の.

Below are examples of when FIU 活動／戦闘 may be 始めるd. 事例／患者s are referred by CMS caseworkers on に代わって of parents receiving child 維持／整備.

- A 支払う／賃金ing parent is self-雇うd, a partner or a company director, their 宣言するd income is 論争d by the receiving parent, and there is a history of income or （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） to support this.

- A receiving parent believes the 支払う／賃金ing parent may be コースを変えるing income, for example to a new partner 雇うd by their 商売／仕事.

- A 支払う／賃金ing parent fails to 供給する 収入s （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状）.

- A 支払う／賃金ing parent is not 雇うd and not （人命などを）奪う，主張するing 利益s.

- A 支払う／賃金ing parent knowingly 供給（する）ing 誤った （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） or it is 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd that the 支払う／賃金ing parent has 供給（する）d 誤った or incomplete （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状）

How do people コースを変える their income to 避ける 支払う／賃金ing child 維持／整備?

Tempted to dodge 税金??

Think again, says our 税金 居住（者） 専門家 Heather Rogers, who explains how HMRC 戦闘s 税金 回避 and what?刑罰，罰則s you can 直面する.

People in 確かな positions are able to 支配（する）／統制する or 影響（力） either the manner by which they are paid, and/or the 量 of the 支払う／賃金 they receive.

Those with the most 適切な時期 are company directors who are also 株主s in their own company and those who are self-雇うd.

Company directors can 決定する the level of their salary, 同様に as any （株主への）配当s that are paid to them, 特に if they are 単独の 株主s/directors.

Or, they may take a director's 貸付金 from the company instead of receiving （株主への）配当s for a period of time.

Self-雇うd 収入s relate 直接／まっすぐに to the 利益（をあげる） and loss of the 商売／仕事 ? income いっそう少なく allowable expenses and 確かな allowable 救済s.

If the person is unscrupulous, they can 影響する／感情 the 宣言するd 利益（をあげる） by incorrectly 報告（する）／憶測ing 商売／仕事 expenses, or failing to 宣言する 支払い（額）s received from 顧客s.

This is 税金 回避 and 潜在的に money laundering 同様に, as I discussed in my 最近の 税金 回避 article. You should certainly 報告（する）／憶測 this to HMRC, if you believe this to be the 事例／患者.

A parent could also コースを変える income to a third party, for example a new partner, by 支払う／賃金ing them a 行う or making them a partner or director in their 商売／仕事.

The 大多数 of the income then goes 経由で the new partner and then the 支払う／賃金ing parent 宣言するs a small level of income to the CMS.

Most people 支払う／賃金ing child 維持／整備 報告（する）／憶測 their 収入s 正確に and do not engage in such practices, but nonetheless such means do 存在する and will be taken advantage of in some 事例／患者s.

What 力／強力にする s does the CMS 財政上の 調査s 部隊 have?

The CMS is 治めるd by the Department of Work and 年金s.

Under the Child Support (施行) 行為／法令／行動する 2023, the DWP can 器具／実施する 許可／制裁s on 支払う／賃金ing parents who 避ける 支払う／賃金ing 維持／整備.

CMS 施行 活動／戦闘 含むs 掴むing 資産s, 含むing bank accounts, and 軍隊ing 所有物／資産／財産 sales. They can even now 除去する パスポートs and 運動ing licences. They no longer need to 適用する to the 法廷，裁判所 for a 義務／負債 order.

税金 tips from Heather Rogers

What 活動／戦闘 can you and your partner take now?

In your 事例／患者, it is not really HMRC that will help you. It's the CMS that needs to 調査／捜査する your partner's ex-husband, and from what you have advised in your question, there are enough grounds for them to do so.

They could even be 調査／捜査するing already, if 疑惑s have been raised, as they wouldn't advise you about it, nor would they advise him for obvious 推論する／理由s.

In fact, the 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑うd 税金 回避 is a separate 事柄. The main 問題／発行する here is that you 嫌疑者，容疑者／疑う that the ex-husband's income is not 正確に 報告（する）／憶測d for child 維持／整備 支払い（額）s.

Here are the 選択s open to you and your partner, whom you should 協議する on what その上の 活動／戦闘 you take. The most important thing when making a 報告（する）／憶測 on a 事柄 like this is that you and your partner stay 安全な.

- You can make another 報告（する）／憶測 to HMRC if you believe 税金 回避 is occurring. You can call HMRC 同様に. You don't have to make a 報告（する）／憶測 online.

But remember, they won't advise you of any 調査 they carry out nor update you with any 詳細（に述べる）s.

If they have your personal 詳細（に述べる）s, they could 接触する you if they think you may have any その上の （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状）, although if you make the 報告（する）／憶測 不明な then they can't.

- You can also go to the CMS and 押し進める them regarding an 調査 on their part. 信頼できる （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） that something is wrong 含むs that the income and the 支払う／賃金ing parent's lifestyle do not match.

Here is a link to the House of ありふれたs library, which gives more （警察などへの）密告，告訴（状） on the CMS's 調査 過程.

- If you can afford to, speak to a lawyer who specialises in child 維持／整備 advice, usually a family 法律 practice.

- If you believe 犯罪の activity is taking place, then do 報告（する）／憶測 it to the police.

Ask Heather Rogers a 税金 question

Tax expert Heather Rogers answers our readers' questions

税金 専門家 Heather Rogers answers our readers' questions

Heather Rogers, 創立者 and owner of Aston Accountancy, is our 税金 columnist.?She is ready to answer your questions on any 税金 topic - 税金 codes, 相続物件 税金, 所得税, 資本／首都 伸び（る）s 税金, and much more.

If you would like to ask Heather a question about 税金, email her at taxquestions@thisismoney.co.uk.

Heather will do her best to reply to your message in a 来たるべき 月毎の column, but she won't be able to answer everyone or correspond 個人として with readers.?Nothing in her replies 構成するs 規制するd 財政上の advice. Published questions are いつかs edited for brevity or other 推論する／理由s.

Please 含む a daytime 接触する number with your message - this will be kept confidential and not used for marketing 目的s.

If Heather is unable to answer your question, you can find out about getting help with 税金 here, 含むing sources of 解放する／自由な professional advice if you are 年輩の and/or on a low income.

You can also 接触する MoneyHelper, a 政府-支援するd organisation which gives 解放する／自由な 援助 on 財政上の 事柄s to the public. Its number is 0800 011 3797.

Heather gives tips on how to find a good accountant here, 含むing when to 捜し出す help, 雇うing the 権利 type of 会社／堅い and typical costs.

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