HMRC Scams – a warning

HMRC Scams - a warning

As many people will no doubt be aware, HM Revenue and Customs  have issued a notice that they are going to be making claims for under (and over) paid tax due to an error in the PAYE system. A further blog is to be issued regarding this; however, I felt it prudent to give a warning of the scams that could arise as a result of this.

In recent months there have been many reports of emails being issued stating that an individual is entitled to a  tax refund. The old adage of ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is’ definitely applies here. Do not email back with your bank details, National Insurance number, tax reference etc.

HMRC have a list of the most common scams on their website

It has come to the attention of PAH accounting that there are also telephone scams occuring. Someone will call your phone purporting to be from HM Revenue and Customs, again stating that you may be entitled to a refund. Be wary of giving any details to anyone who calls you up. This applies to any telephone scams that are occurring more frequently nowadays.

The best advice is to login to your own HMRC account and see what the status is. The official website is https://www.hmrc.gov.uk You will be issued with a statement if you are entitled to a refund so wait for that to come in the post.

Given the recent media coverage this makes it a great time for scammers to either email or get on the phone. Please be wary and if you are not sure, talk to your accountant.