HMRC - Refunds taking an age
Discussion
Returns filed through accountant for 21/22 in December 22 - due a 5 figure refund. Still not received, accountants got back onto HMRC, they have referred for review as the agent answering couldn't see reason for delay, either will be resolved asap or letter will be sent.
Anyone else seeing HMRC be elusive ? slow ? is this normal ? not getting an answer from them is frustrating, if the shoe was on the other foot though!
Anyone else seeing HMRC be elusive ? slow ? is this normal ? not getting an answer from them is frustrating, if the shoe was on the other foot though!
Edited by shocks on Wednesday 12th April 14:10
With the freezing of allowances and thresholds until at least 2028, many, many more people will find themselves having to deal with Self Assessment or VAT as their incomes creep up due to the higher inflation rates.
As a result, demands on HMRC will increase just at the time they are unable to cope.
As a result, demands on HMRC will increase just at the time they are unable to cope.
alscar said:
Accountant filed mine and my wife's on 09th November and received £7,800 and £ 223 refunds respectively on the 18th November I think with a hard copy letter confirming dated the 23rd.
Timetable seemed pretty identical to previous years.
It's totally random. Sometimes it's quick - other times nothing.Timetable seemed pretty identical to previous years.
Indeed, some receive it within a couple of weeks, but we have a few clients where it's taken almost a whole year to get an overpayment cheque sent out or bank transfer made to their account, and these are for very simple and straightforward things such as a tax refund or pension contribution relief. The only way that we have managed to speed things along is to calmly ask the advisor we get through to about the best way to file an official complaint with the highest team possible because this has gone on for too long now. Our details are taken, and we then get a call back from a case handler in a higher team within a couple of days who basically say 'yep, all done now, sorry it took so long!'.
To date, that has never failed to get the ball rolling a lot quicker, bringing the quotes timescales down from months to a matter of days, that's if there has been a timescale quoted to begin with, often no timescale at all can be given.
HMRC's vision "to become one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world" with their MTD folly is a distant mirage. It's an absolute s
t show.
To date, that has never failed to get the ball rolling a lot quicker, bringing the quotes timescales down from months to a matter of days, that's if there has been a timescale quoted to begin with, often no timescale at all can be given.
HMRC's vision "to become one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world" with their MTD folly is a distant mirage. It's an absolute s
t show.Somebody said:
I think it's best to pick up the phone.
When I filed my last SA return, even though I claimed my refund due through the online account, I had to call in the end to speak to someone before I eventually received the refund.
This. I tried multiple time to get a refund on line and nothing happened. It took a call to sort it out. When I filed my last SA return, even though I claimed my refund due through the online account, I had to call in the end to speak to someone before I eventually received the refund.
Be prepared to wait a long time though, and you may well get cut off multiple times while in the queue.
What was really annoying was that they had put my refund on hold, but didn't tell me, or put any indicator in my on line account. They just didn't refund. If they had it the issue would have been resolved immediately.
How abou 2 years …. Accountant advised/claimed refund after both last year, and year before SA - I can see the total (now well into 5 figures). As a credit/balance. Claimed myself via the gov.uk portal - probably October last year … nothing. Re-submitted claim again last week.
If boot was on other foot - pretty sure they’d be kicking down my door looking for payment.
Would love to see one of these debt collection TV programmes turning up @ HMRC - Can’t pay. We’ll take it away style …
If boot was on other foot - pretty sure they’d be kicking down my door looking for payment.
Would love to see one of these debt collection TV programmes turning up @ HMRC - Can’t pay. We’ll take it away style …
seyre1972 said:
How abou 2 years …. Accountant advised/claimed refund after both last year, and year before SA - I can see the total (now well into 5 figures). As a credit/balance. Claimed myself via the gov.uk portal - probably October last year … nothing. Re-submitted claim again last week.
If boot was on other foot - pretty sure they’d be kicking down my door looking for payment.
Would love to see one of these debt collection TV programmes turning up @ HMRC - Can’t pay. We’ll take it away style …
That's what was happening to me. Claim the refund and nothing happened. Resubmitted it and again nothing happened. HMRC knew the reason but didn't feel the need to inform me.If boot was on other foot - pretty sure they’d be kicking down my door looking for payment.
Would love to see one of these debt collection TV programmes turning up @ HMRC - Can’t pay. We’ll take it away style …
We've also not recieved a single reply to multiple letters we sent about NI credit not being applied to my wife's account. They cashed the cheque promptly, but months later it still wasn't credited to her account.
98elise said:
We've also not recieved a single reply to multiple letters we sent about NI credit not being applied to my wife's account. They cashed the cheque promptly, but months later it still wasn't credited to her account.
My wife has yet to get through the first part of her issue ie actually speaking to someone at the DWP but as I understood it you need an 18 digit reference to pay HMRC -did your cheque have this ?alscar said:
98elise said:
We've also not recieved a single reply to multiple letters we sent about NI credit not being applied to my wife's account. They cashed the cheque promptly, but months later it still wasn't credited to her account.
My wife has yet to get through the first part of her issue ie actually speaking to someone at the DWP but as I understood it you need an 18 digit reference to pay HMRC -did your cheque have this ?We wrote many times asking them to either credit the account or let us know what was wrong. Each letter included copies of all the other letters. We got no replies.
We then wrote a letter asking for the money back. They ignored that and credited the account.
That was over a year ago and none of our letters have ever been answered!
98elise said:
Everything was right from our end. I sent a covering letter with everything they needed spelt out. They cashed the cheque then did nothing.
We wrote many times asking them to either credit the account or let us know what was wrong. Each letter included copies of all the other letters. We got no replies.
We then wrote a letter asking for the money back. They ignored that and credited the account.
That was over a year ago and none of our letters have ever been answered!
I suppose at least the account got credited in the end but how painful. We wrote many times asking them to either credit the account or let us know what was wrong. Each letter included copies of all the other letters. We got no replies.
We then wrote a letter asking for the money back. They ignored that and credited the account.
That was over a year ago and none of our letters have ever been answered!
I assume the credit finally showed up via the gateway log in ?
alscar said:
98elise said:
Everything was right from our end. I sent a covering letter with everything they needed spelt out. They cashed the cheque then did nothing.
We wrote many times asking them to either credit the account or let us know what was wrong. Each letter included copies of all the other letters. We got no replies.
We then wrote a letter asking for the money back. They ignored that and credited the account.
That was over a year ago and none of our letters have ever been answered!
I suppose at least the account got credited in the end but how painful. We wrote many times asking them to either credit the account or let us know what was wrong. Each letter included copies of all the other letters. We got no replies.
We then wrote a letter asking for the money back. They ignored that and credited the account.
That was over a year ago and none of our letters have ever been answered!
I assume the credit finally showed up via the gateway log in ?
CloudStuff said:
May be worth asking via accountant or agent if the 'do not repay' flag on the HMRC side is ticked. Seems to sometimes mysterioulsy be incorrectly ticked.
With my rebate this is exactly why it didn't get refunded. It would be simple to show that in the gateway, or trigger an automated letter back to you saying why it's not going to get paid. Instead the rebate just gets ignored. Unfortunately the site tells you to wait (4 Weeks IIRC) before phoning them about non payments.
When you do phone it will routinely cut you off after a certain length of time (by design). So you have to call back and rejoin the queue.
I used to do process modelling and that is a terrible way to manage time and resources!
Unfortunately a lot of state run stuff works like this. My mother had to make an appointment to attend a clinic. The phone bot gives you the option to get a call back. After doing that a number of times and not getting a call back she hung on in the queue. When she mentioned the call backs she was told that doesn't work!!
I get a text every year or so to get a blood test (due to some medication I'm on). The text gives me a number to call to book the test. The number is incorrect and just rings off immediately. It's been like that for at least the past two appointments (so over a year).
Edited by 98elise on Friday 14th April 14:02
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