Be wary of Self Assessment scams
It’s that time of the year again! HMRC have issued a reminder to taxpayers to be watchful for scam attempts around Self Assessment tax returns. In the last year, nearly 150,000 scam attempts were referred to HMRC, a 16.7% increase on the previous year. With the 31st January 2025 filing deadline approaching, this activity is likely to increase.
HMRC’s report states that around half of all scam reports in the last year were fake tax rebate claims, with which we’d agree. We see these personally but are also asked by clients about these more than any others.
Fraudsters usually use these approaches as a way to obtain personal information and bank details.
If you receive an email, text or phone call from someone claiming to be from HMRC that asks you for personal information or offers you a tax rebate, there is a useful checklist here that can help you spot a scam. HMRC will never have a problem with you asking for more information from them to validate any contact.
On the page linked above, HMRC explain that they will never leave voicemails threatening legal action or arrest. Neither will they ask for personal or financial information over text message. HMRC also will not contact you by email, text, or phone to announce a refund or ask you to request one.
They do explain when they WILL send text messages, and how you can differentiate between a genuine one and a scam version. In essence, you will not be able to reply to a genuine one, nor will it ask you for personal information or payment of any kind. Some will include a link though, so you may like to check the circumstance that may apply to these, as this could be an area of doubt.
If you have already been contacted by someone claiming to be from HMRC and feel unsure if it’s a scam, or you’d like to check whether you are due a tax refund, please get in touch with us or refer them to us. If they are legitimately from HMRC, they shouldn’t have any problem with speaking to us.
If you’re a client of ours, you should already be aware if you’re due a refund, but we know that it’s always something to look forward to!
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