HMRC - trying to get refund
Discussion
I’ve now spent hours on hold on separate occasions trying to get through only to be cut off…. HMRC owe me a refund and I’d like it back!
Their on line checker says that they are processing refunds applied for two weeks later than mine.
Any suggestions how I contact them other than the pointless phone number that leads no-where?
Their on line checker says that they are processing refunds applied for two weeks later than mine.
Any suggestions how I contact them other than the pointless phone number that leads no-where?
Edited by FuzzyLogic on Thursday 8th August 15:20
I've had this and just persisted on the phone, you should get a letter (might go to your registered office address?) eventually, and it's usually because of a query either you don't normally get a refund, ie you normally pay them, or it's higher than normal/out of the ordinary somehow.
Prepare for reasons to explain this, while you stick to the phone attempts and when you get through don't let them put you back on hold, ask then to check the file for correspondence sent or a higher up contact (there is always a next level assigned to investigate the ones flagged up) I eventually got a helpful person who escalated it up the chain and then got a copy of the letter (we never received in the post) emailed over, once I got to the email stage of the "Vat tax specialist" guy with the queries then it was straight forward if a bit admin heavy (I was just proving an abnormally high refund for the quarter)
I had the same online portal messages initially that made me assume it was in the pipeline and just someone was looking into it, without the calls it would have gone on for a lot longer.
If you get really stuck I could give you the guys email address? it'll obviously be very unlikely he is the one looking at yours but he'll possibly steer you to who is, to get rid of you!?
Prepare for reasons to explain this, while you stick to the phone attempts and when you get through don't let them put you back on hold, ask then to check the file for correspondence sent or a higher up contact (there is always a next level assigned to investigate the ones flagged up) I eventually got a helpful person who escalated it up the chain and then got a copy of the letter (we never received in the post) emailed over, once I got to the email stage of the "Vat tax specialist" guy with the queries then it was straight forward if a bit admin heavy (I was just proving an abnormally high refund for the quarter)
I had the same online portal messages initially that made me assume it was in the pipeline and just someone was looking into it, without the calls it would have gone on for a lot longer.
If you get really stuck I could give you the guys email address? it'll obviously be very unlikely he is the one looking at yours but he'll possibly steer you to who is, to get rid of you!?
Stupot123 said:
Raise a formal complaint with them and it will get transferred to a different department who will eventually deal with it.
How did I find this out?
Was advised it was the only way to get any action, by one of their advisors!
It did work eventually, although it wasn’t that quick.
+1 also raised a formal complaint at the suggestion of an advisor, which is showing as in progress despite finally got my 2022-23 self assessment refund showing on the "request a payment" page, so I requested a repayment, to be told it could take 4-6 weeks. How did I find this out?
Was advised it was the only way to get any action, by one of their advisors!
It did work eventually, although it wasn’t that quick.
I've never had to request a refund before, so i'm not sure what that is all about.
Its always been a bit of a flaky service but the last few years it has gone to the absolute dogs. Not fit for purpose.
I had this problem last year. I finally managed to speak to someone online using their web chat function. Apparently they needed to perform additional fraud checks before they would release the money which they did online and I had the money in my account a couple of days later.
God only knows how long I would have waited if I hadn’t chased them.
God only knows how long I would have waited if I hadn’t chased them.
There is another thread regarding this…. I’ve been waiting 14 weeks now. Online chat is useless and I’ve yet to find a long enough time period during busy office work to phone them and sit in a call queue for an age.
Every time I request a payment I have to wait 48 to check its progress , I check back in and its exactly the same page telling me about my refund and that I’m not to request it again.
Im owed £7k and I’m pretty certain had I invested that where I wanted a few months ago I’d have a fair bit more now. It’s unbelievable frankly. According to wiki they have over 60k employees and in this day and age should be automated.
I screw up though and they immediately change my tax code to reclaim underpayments.
Reclaiming SIPP relief never use to be this difficult.
Every time I request a payment I have to wait 48 to check its progress , I check back in and its exactly the same page telling me about my refund and that I’m not to request it again.
Im owed £7k and I’m pretty certain had I invested that where I wanted a few months ago I’d have a fair bit more now. It’s unbelievable frankly. According to wiki they have over 60k employees and in this day and age should be automated.
I screw up though and they immediately change my tax code to reclaim underpayments.
Reclaiming SIPP relief never use to be this difficult.
Edited by oldaudi on Friday 9th August 20:38
It's a s
tshow. they wrote to me in January to tell me I'm owed some NI back (Changed jobs mid month). I called them up and was told it was £200 and I could expect the refund in two weeks.
I'm still waiting, despite calling on 3 further occasions and writing to them in April.
It's only £200 but still.
tshow. they wrote to me in January to tell me I'm owed some NI back (Changed jobs mid month). I called them up and was told it was £200 and I could expect the refund in two weeks. I'm still waiting, despite calling on 3 further occasions and writing to them in April.
It's only £200 but still.
Yup, persevere on the phone. There seems no other way.
Every year I have a rebate after self assessment, which I then request online to get paid to me. It just sits there with HMRC. I request again. Nothing. Then multiple calls each time and I finally get paid - the first year it happened it was six months late.
Though after dealing with O2 and O2 business this week, HMRC seem a breeze!
Every year I have a rebate after self assessment, which I then request online to get paid to me. It just sits there with HMRC. I request again. Nothing. Then multiple calls each time and I finally get paid - the first year it happened it was six months late.
Though after dealing with O2 and O2 business this week, HMRC seem a breeze!
lauda said:
I had this problem last year. I finally managed to speak to someone online using their web chat function. Apparently they needed to perform additional fraud checks before they would release the money which they did online and I had the money in my account a couple of days later.
God only knows how long I would have waited if I hadn’t chased them.
I've heard this story from them enough to believe they aren't fraud checks, but just a cover-up for the slap-dash nature of how they deal with refunds.God only knows how long I would have waited if I hadn’t chased them.
They have owed me £3600 since last August , done the online forms 4 times , money has never appeared , my accountant has requested it as well.
I gave up months ago that I would get it back easily , my tax return is being done next month and I will owe money which we’ll be due next January , just going to use my credit for that now .
I gave up months ago that I would get it back easily , my tax return is being done next month and I will owe money which we’ll be due next January , just going to use my credit for that now .
I was waiting for a pension overpayment reported back in december 2023. I raised 4 complaints that were closed or ignored, tried to speak with them on the phone and online chat to no success.
It was hugely frutrating not knowing where to turn or how to resolve it.
I emailed my local MP 2 weeks ago with all the details, 1 week later I had an apology, all my money back and £30 for my troubles.
It was hugely frutrating not knowing where to turn or how to resolve it.
I emailed my local MP 2 weeks ago with all the details, 1 week later I had an apology, all my money back and £30 for my troubles.
thanks for the replies. Eventually managed to get through to a human yesterday after not answering the automated questions truthfully. She was helpful and said that despite my automated request on the government gateway, the refund request had not been registered. She went through it with me on the phone and said it was now being processed in the next 10 days unless a 'random security check' was required.
Hopefully its moving now..
Next year im going to make sure I owe them money!!
Hopefully its moving now..
Next year im going to make sure I owe them money!!
FuzzyLogic said:
I’ve now spent hours on hold on separate occasions trying to get through only to be cut off…. HMRC owe me a refund and I’d like it back!
Their on line checker says that they are processing refunds applied for two weeks later than mine.
Any suggestions how I contact them other than the pointless phone number that leads no-where?
They owed me about £12k. They said it would be six months (it was actually 5).Their on line checker says that they are processing refunds applied for two weeks later than mine.
Any suggestions how I contact them other than the pointless phone number that leads no-where?
Edited by FuzzyLogic on Thursday 8th August 15:20
They fined me for a CGT payment being a day late.
FuzzyLogic said:
thanks for the replies. Eventually managed to get through to a human yesterday after not answering the automated questions truthfully. She was helpful and said that despite my automated request on the government gateway, the refund request had not been registered. She went through it with me on the phone and said it was now being processed in the next 10 days unless a 'random security check' was required.
Hopefully its moving now..
Next year im going to make sure I owe them money!!
Do update this thread.Hopefully its moving now..
Next year im going to make sure I owe them money!!
I called them on Feb 12th, March 19th, April 5th to be told it will be 10 days.
I then called them on July 2nd and they said it will be 7 days.
I then caled them on July 10th and have since given up.
FuzzyLogic said:
She went through it with me on the phone and said it was now being processed in the next 10 days unless a 'random security check' was required.
I don't want to be a chip pisser, but that's what they always say. I've given up calling them now (so I guess their tactic has been successful) and just assume it is not going to arrive, so that it is more of a bonus if it eventually does. But when I did call them it was always "oh, not sure why, I have told the payments department to approve, it should be with you in four weeks", which was always nonsense. There is a formal complaint route, online only of course, which can reference your specific case and not just be a general moan. That didn't seem to make any difference either.
Compare this with the many examples of people getting hit by HMRC for being a day late with something, even when that delay is caused by another bit of government being rubbish, like granting of probate for inheritance tax.
I’ve been using the online chat again this morning. My tax lady made an amendment last week, based on feedback from my previous HMRC online chat. They owed me £800 which was paid in a few weeks via a p800 form.
Now my tax return has been amended the tax relief from my SIPP has increased, but I now go to the bottom of the list as it’s now 12 weeks wait again since my resubmission……. So we are looking at 26 weeks before they even look at my account.
I was honest and contacted HMRC to pay the tax on my cash savings and dividends and they amend my tax code in hours! Yet half a year to get sipp relief, appalling.
Now my tax return has been amended the tax relief from my SIPP has increased, but I now go to the bottom of the list as it’s now 12 weeks wait again since my resubmission……. So we are looking at 26 weeks before they even look at my account.
I was honest and contacted HMRC to pay the tax on my cash savings and dividends and they amend my tax code in hours! Yet half a year to get sipp relief, appalling.
Edited by oldaudi on Wednesday 14th August 09:45
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