HMRC sending 4 MILLION income tax refund letters – how to tell if yours is genuine

Who's being sent these letters?

HMRC is sending tax calculation letters – also known as a P800 – to people who are due an income tax refund.

This could impact employees who receive their salary via PAYE, as well as pensioners, who may have overpaid tax on pension income.

Overpayments can happen if you:

• Were put on the wrong tax code, for example because HMRC had the wrong information about your income. It's always a good idea to make sure it's right with our tax code calculator.

• Finished one job, started a new one and were paid by both in the same month.

• Started receiving a pension at work.

• Received Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseeker's Allowance.

How can I tell if it's really HMRC that's contacted me?

Fraudsters regularly attempt to impersonate HMRC to pressure victims to part with their cash, so it's important to make sure any communication you receive is genuine – and stay safe from scams. Follow our steps below to make sure you don't get caught out.

1. HMRC will always send a letter about any tax you're owed. If you don't make a claim after receiving a letter, HMRC may send you a text, reminding you to take action. It will never ask you to make a payment or ask for personal details.

2. If you're owed tax you can choose your payment method. HMRC used to automatically send a cheque, but now you can choose how you'd prefer to be paid. If you're owed tax from more than one year, you'll get a single payment for the entire amount.

3. If HMRC says you can claim your tax refund online, use the correct website address. Be wary of following links in letters or messages as they could be scam sites replicating the original.
   
   If you're unsure or worried, use this Gov.uk link (www.gov.uk/tax-overpayments-and-underpayments/if-youre-due-a-refund) to get you to the right place. You can bookmark it to use later if that's helpful.
   
   If the portal is working as expected, you'll need the reference number on your P800 letter and your National Insurance number. During the claims process you can ask HMRC to pay your refund as a bank transfer (if you have a UK bank account) or you can request a cheque. You can also use the HMRC app to check if you're owed a repayment and to claim it.

Remember, while HMRC may send you a text message as a reminder to make your claim, it will never ask you to make a payment or ask for personal banking details.

Need to get in touch with HMRC another way?

If you have any issues with claiming online, or prefer to do it another way, there are other ways to get your tax refund.

Below are all official routes to HMRC, so make sure you use these links (or check on Gov.uk directly to make sure you're using the correct contact details):

• By logging into your personal tax account and requesting HMRC to pay the refund directly into your bank account.

• Through the HMRC app and requesting HMRC to pay the refund directly into your bank account.

• If you are unable to use the digital service, you can contact HMRC on the phone to request your refund.

If you claim a a payment online, you should receive this within five working days. If you request a cheque, it should arrive within six weeks.