Maternity Leave benefit for self employed

[Skyeblue]

I've been self employed since June 2010. I received a welfare payment for the first year of being self employed for short term back to work enterprise allowance which ended in June 2011. I am due a baby in March 2012.
My VAT number is my own PPS number, but my Income Tax number is the same as my husbands PPS. I have tried to make an Income Tax payment for the duration of being self employed - and also for next year, but due to my income tax number being my husbands pps, the revenue are refusing to accept my payment. The issue is that my husband was self employed a few years ago, he is now in full time employment - has been for many years. The Revenue are seeking records for payments that he made to them, but unfortunately my husband is not the best at book keeping, and may take a while to track information down.
I would like to apply for maternity leave benefit asap, it would be a great help to me, but don't think I will receive on account of the Revenue not accepting my payments. Is it possible for me to make a separate PRSI contribution, or any other solution to this problem? Many thanks for reading.

 

[Ildánach]

Have you registered as a self employed person separate from your husband?

 

[Skyeblue]

I am registered separately, but unfortunately cannot seem to change the Income Tax number from his, I may be able to do so once this mess has been sorted, but have tried for over a year, with no result.

 

[Ildánach]

Sounds like you'll probably have trouble with the Maternity Benefit. I don't know enough about tax and why this is happening, but from a social welfare point of view, you should ensure that the Maternity Benefit application is submitted, and then at least if its all sorted out down the line, you'll get a backpayment.

 

[Skyeblue]

Thanks for the advice.