Tax refund

A few months ago we had a thread about giving your spouse your tax allowance if you didn't use it. We downloaded the form and submitted it , it was all very easy. Had an email back to say the application was accepted and all well and good. A letter to H at the weekend with a new tax code and the allowance left off and saying he owed them £215 , the tax break was worth approx £220. There was no explanation. Has anyone else had it removed.

I spoke to HMRC today and they confirmed that they never ask for passport number. If the OP has done this can I suggest that they change all passwords etc and maybe register with one of those organisations that checks whether their identity is being used illegally. Hope all well but fear it may not be. Good luck.

I meant Irma that being the only one able to answer the questions doesn't mean all is secure as it depends who is asking the questions and getting the answers.

Even getting some money paid to you may not mean all is well. I know someone who got some money as dividend from an investment, and was thus happy to invest more of their savings. After that they heard nothing as the whole thing had been a scam.

Hi Jane10, I have just spoken to a REAL PERSON at HMRC. All is OK. I phoned them earlier this morning and just got a long recorded message, and then the phone just went dead. Frustrated, I tried again, and gave different answers to the infernal automated voice. I don't know exactly what I said, but I did get to speak to a living breathing human. Relief. He said the passport no. was part of the verification process, I have not been scammed. He did say, that if you say nothing in answer to their questions, you will get to speak to an advisor. Hope this helps anyone else who has had trouble with HMRC. I must admit to feeling very anxious after reading Jane's post.
WHEW!!! ?

This is absolutely not a scam. Employers have had to use this method of contact for ages. It's really quite easy once you get the passcode and ID . Difficult for anyone without the use of a computer /iPad etc. But obviously okay for everyone here. I suspect forcing everyone to access refunds in this way is HMRC's way of hoping lots of people won't bother.

Great news Auntieflo hope you didn't lose any sleep over it.

Sorry to have worried you Auntieflo. I too had spoken to a real person (face to face) who works for HMRC and it was this person who told me that passport numbers weren't asked for. All most odd.

Must admit to a bit if a restless night when I thought that maybe I had been had. I am on the whole a very trusting person, and couldn't believe that I had maybe fallen for a scam.

Just because you actually received a payment doesn't mean it is not a scam. £20+ pounds is nothing to a criminal who can make a great deal more by selling your details. If your junk mail increases you could be on a mug list.
I hate filling in tax forms but with the changes brought in this year I will probably not have to do them again.

We are in the throes of getting things ready to send in our tax forms. We are getting quite short with each other especially over my fondness for opening bank accounts.

I filled in a self assessment form online this week and, just to confirm, They do ask for your passport number as an extra security verification. They also requested a phone number to send an extra security code.

"Progress" seems very complicated, confusing and scary these days!!

Somebody tweeted Martin Lewis about this, with a copy of the email. Martin's response was 'HMRC NEVER emails about tax rebates, regardless of how legit it looks. It's a scam.'

Wasn't this a letter though, not an email?

'Which' article on tax scams:

www.which.co.uk/consumer-rights/advice/tax-scams

Ah! That's OK then.

HMRC send me letters and emails about general topics, such as reminders, but anything specific to my tax is done via their secure messaging system.

Whenever I've been due a rebate after doing self-assessment, it's been paid into my bank account automatically within a day or so.

Have just had £209 credited to our account from the tax man. It was because some of my tax allowance was passed over to DH (or something like that). It is a right complicated business applying for it, but I was determined not to let the tax man hang on to it for another 45 days as we originally applied back in March. They take it off you very quickly but take a long time giving it back. Our notification came as a letter from HMRC with DH's tax code not as an e-mail, often get those saying I am due a rebate. Always delete.

I fill in my self assessment online, and have done for some years now. When you register you give your Nat insurance number, and unique tax code. One is then given a user number and password to use.
Not ever have I been asked for a passport number.

llrina It's a new system they've just introduced.

Oh dear MiniMouse. I do hope my old log in details still work, my passport is out of date at the moment

I wonder what people without a passport do? Why is life so complicated now?

OH got a letter saying he was owed several hundred pounds of overpaid tax, I think he will just wait and see what happens.

Update to my Tax Refund from HMRC. After the worry about whether or not I should have completed the online form,the money was paid into my account on 15th, and as it was over £500, it was worth getting the refund online and not having to wait the 45 days or so.

So glad all was ok auntieflo

I like getting the cheque and cackle and gloat all the way to the bank.

Instead of going through all this ordeal you can simply get your attorney do it for you. All you have to do is hire a good civil attorney like this one for ex and then be assured that you won't have to sweat it out in these matters.