Beware of taxmen bearing gifts, warns PwC

Email promises of hefty tax rebates from HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) may be a sophisticated scam, according to business advisors, PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC).

Coinciding with the 31 January, self-assessment tax deadline, thousands of taxpayers have received bogus emails, allegedly from HMRC, advising that they are eligible for a tax rebate.

Some emails carry the subject heading: H M Revenue & Customs Tax Refund Notification and specify the exact amount of a ‘refund’ the taxpayer can expect.

Recipients are told to click on a link and submit bank or credit card details to claim their rebate. But the simple click of a mouse may result in victims having their accounts plundered or cards used fraudantly, with personal bank and card details being sold to other criminals.

Gillian Banks, a tax director at PwC, says taxpayers should beware:

“Even where a taxpayer files their self-assessment return online, HMRC will not contact them by email in these circumstances.

“The emails we have seen have the HMRC logo and official-looking wording, but taxpayers should not be fooled into providing financial or personal banking information over the internet.

“If you are entitled to a rebate, you or your advisors will be notified by letter.”

Self-assessment is required primarily from the self-employed or those who have income from several sources. The number of taxpayers filing self-assessment returns online is growing. Of around 9.5 million self-assessment returns, about 5.8m were filed online last year, up from 3.8m million the previous year.