UKC

Complete newbie question about tax return. As i've never recieved/applied for one. Just had an email from HMRC with a tax refund. Though they are asking for card details for the money to get paid into, along with estimated balance and security code of the card (which stinks quite strongly of a scam email)!

As i've never claimed tax back, i've no idea what i'm doing.
On a side note, i think it would be MASSIVELY helpful, if for, i don't know 1 lesson in my whole school life, they might have covered something about tax/returns/etc!!!

Only just found out this year at the age of 24 that i can actually do this! At no point have i been told before now that you just sort it out yourself. Always just assumed tax returns were for businesses or self employed.

Well done education system, thanks for making me miss out on probably hundreds of pounds!

In reply to CharlieMack:

It's a scam!

In reply to CharlieMack:

Definitely a scam. However, if you have worked for part of a year on a salary, you may be entitled to tax back since your monthly tax is calculated based on working for 12 months. If you only worked for say 6 months, you may have over paid. You can claim back several years worth. The first place to start is with your current HR department, or failing that, ring up the tax office and get advice there. It isn't too hard.

In reply to CharlieMack:

I'll assume this isn't a troll.

Any email of that sort is a scam. Simple as.

As for whether you need to 'sort out' your tax, in most cases you do not. Tax returns are mostly for assorted categories of higher earners and people with non standard tax requirements. Most people with minimal investment income and salary paid to them via the PAYE system have no need whatsoever to do an anual tax return/claim. If you move into 40% tax band it is necessary to have your tax code adjusted to account for any investment income you receive and any charitable giving you indulge in. As income gets higher there may be a requirement related to child benefit if claimed and then once ypu get to £100,000 or so you do one every year. But even then they are very simple unless your circumstances are complicated.

You will however never get a refund via bank transfer/credi/debit card on the back of an unsolicited email from HMRC. If a mistake was made in your PAYE tax in a previous year that they discovered, it will be fixed (in most cases unless it is enormous) by adjusting this years tax code up or down so you pay more or less tax this year to even things out.

In reply to CharlieMack:

HMRC write to you*, on paper.

*after a fashion
jk

In reply to CharlieMack: Give them the details, nothing ventured nothing gained.

In reply to CharlieMack:

yeah its a scam, the HMRC will not e-mail you and rarely phone you they nearly always send a letter.
There are lots of scam e-mail from HMRC this time of year, i had a scam phone call last week using a phone number one digit different from the correct Tax office one!

Cheers guys, was fairly certain it was a scam. Just spoken to friends who seem to have been given tax rebates etc. I've never received one and never heard about how to get/be eligible for one.
Going to give the tax office a bell to see what i'm entitled to/missing out on.
Hopefully it shouldn't be too busy with everyone out buying roses (chocolate and flower varieties).

In reply to CharlieMack:

Definitely a scam! HMRC like to hang onto your money, unless you specifically request it back, then they send you a cheque (eventually)!

In reply to CharlieMack:

The Revenue will probably write to you at some point letting you know if you have over or under paid. Normally about two years after the relevant tax year! They may send a cheque or they may adjust your tax code for future years. If you phone and get through (not easy) they are quite helpful.

In reply to CharlieMack:

As everyone else has said, your email is a scam

I've had a tax refund for the last few years, but only because I've done a tax return and put down what I've given in Gift Aid

As to doing a tax return, I got a letter from HMRC about 10 years ago saying I was to do one, and then a few years later they sent another one telling I needn't bother. However, having set up a simple spreadsheet to do the calculations, I'm quite happy to do it (and know I paying not a penny more or a penny less than I should)

In reply to CharlieMack:



Agree, you should be taught basic economics, how banks work, how to budget, avoid running up credit card bills as well as tax etc. Important life skills.


Would lessons on scams come under economics or computer science ?

In reply to CharlieMack:

I have a tax practice and that is indeed a scam.

Even we get scam emails and some this year have been quite convincing with ukgov links/addresses. However, HMRC will never email you about anything like this, end of.

Sorry!

In reply to Ferret:
While i was on PAYE, every year without failing i was getting a tax rebate of high 3 to low 4 figures. HR departments and accountants seem to prefer to err on the side of more rather than less when taking tax money from your wages, but can't be arsed to adjust at the end of the year and give the money back to you, so they pass it on to HMRC and it's down to you to claw it back.

There's no need to do a tax return though, most of the time a quick phone call to the tax office saying "i think i paid too much money last year, please give it back to me you robbing weasels" does the trick.

P.s. And i've never been anywhere near the higher tax band

In reply to CharlieMack:

Last year I got a £5000 tax refund, they just e-mailed me a cheque , no messing about with my bank account details. It's a scam.

In reply to CharlieMack:

So they wanted your card no. And security code?

Like to think even I wouldn't walk into that one.

And between times ,I can occasionally do 'thick as pigshit'