Thank you everybody.
I will report back as soon as I have any info to share with you all.
I would just like to add this general comment, and that is without all your advice I would still be totally in the dark over what to do - there is nowhere to turn if you have the sort of issues I have had with regards my IVA, and this forum is a godsend.
Also, below are my feelings over the whole IVA experience I have had, and how it has affected my life. - I have not include this just to have a 'rant', but rather to let other people in the same situation know they are not alone (also, to make other people who THINK they are being badly treated realise it is actually not that bad when they see how I have been treated!!! - tongue in cheek comment)
The despair that hits you at times cannot be described to anyone who has not been in this kind of situation, and I feel that my decision to carry on my business after two companies went bankrupt on me at the same time has gone completely unapreciated by everyone involved. HMRC treated me like I had been one of the companies who had gone bust rather than a victim of such.
Then to find that my IP is in all probability ripping me off left right and centre, and that after nearly six years I still need to find another 6K to pay more IP fees - disheartening as a word does not even come close.
I had another company go bust on me last year, and they had not paid fully their tax bills for 3 years!! - how did they get away with that ? - They then stripped their company and are now operating under a wife's name. It seems to me that if you are honest and hardworking you are an easy target, and I genuinely feel that I have been treated like a criminal on probation.
I have worked very hard over this last 6 years, 60hrs+ a week in an ever more difficult trade (I am a professional design engineer) which has seen me go from employing 3 people back to just myself as the industry rapidly goes chinese ! - I should have had a house, nice car, holidays all the trimmings - but instead I have had this IVA leach taking everything I had, and when work was scarce or tax bills due I have still had to find the money for the IVA. I have nothing, nothing left at all - completely drained.
Can anyone imagine being in a position whereby you are working at 3 am in the morning trying to get work done for a customer, and instead of thinking 'that will make some profit' you are thinking 'that will go towards this month's IVA payment' or pay the tax bill I am behind with because I paid the IVA payment last month when I couldn't afford it! - Now imagine this for 6 YEARS +
As I said disheartening doesn't come close.
The only good thing over the last 6 years (and the most important) has been my family. I got married 4 years ago and my wife was not around when my IVA started, but has been totally supportive. When times were hard she used her savings to 'fill the gaps' and has even gone into debt herself when work went slack for a while. She now has nothing left either - everything we have had has gone during this last 6 years. We have a 23 month old son as well now who is just wonderful and a joy to behold, but this means my wife has not been working and so I am the only bread winner. - My wife has felt the impact of my IVA, no holidays, no new clothes, robbing Peter to pay Paul etc etc - what a woman - no complaints ever, she just gets on with it.
So, here we are 6 years on - totally broke, behind with my IVA, being ripped off, rented home, one income, highly trained experienced engineer, work getting more difficult to come by and make a profit on, unable to pack in and get another job (as it wouldn't pay enough), wife and child to support.
Well, at least the sun is shining.
