HMRC tax refund confusion
HMRC sent me an unsolicited letter stating I was due a tax refund.
On checking online, it showed the refund had been made direct to my bank account.
After two more weeks, nothing had appeared in my bank account. I sent the first of 3 secure messages via the online 'secure messaging' service to HMRC as I was concerned the repayment had disappeared.
None of my messages received a response.
I then phoned the call centre nearly 3 weeks after the online service showed the refund had been paid to me, who told me:
- they could not tell me why the secure messages were being ignored since that was "another department and they had no access to it"
- the refund had not been made, despite the service showing this. It had merely been "requested to be made" by another department
- the "refund request" was in reality with "security for review" to check its validity
- it was not possible to say "when or if the repayment would be made"
Hmm.
Wouldn't it be better if:
- before telling someone that a tax refund is due them, that all necessary checks ("security" or otherwise) are done first?
- that HMRC either discontinue the "secure messaging" service, or have the courtesy to reply to messages sent using it?
- that the system does not show that a refund has been paid into a bank account until this actually happens?
- that the different channels at HMRC (refunds, security, call centre, secure messaging) are integrated and designed around the taxpayer/citizen rather than all operating in silos?
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Responses
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Emma notes: I'm due a tax rebate (about £2000) and am struggling to get it out of HMRC. The Web interface was great for filing the tax return but ever since I was a aware a rebate was available I've struggled to get it.
written 3rd December 2009 | abusive?
- I pressed the buttons to request the rebate (by default any rebate just appears to be used to offset future years tax) and nothing happened after a month so I tried again;
- nothing the 2nd time so I rang them up "oh yes I can see that you've applied for a rebate; I will forward you request to the appropriate dept"
- next the HMRC web interface says "payment sent"; it doesn't say where to; that was a couple of weeks ago; one page says the payment will be made by Jan 31 2010
I will wait until the New Year then start chasing this again.
Sounds to me like the Web interface has many routes through it (to keep the public "busy and confused") but all routes lead to a telephone operator who then tells somebody else to do something; very Bad.