Be wary of Self Assessment scams
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) have issued a reminder to be careful about scam attempts that target people filing Self Assessment tax returns. In the last year, nearly 150,000 scam attempts were referred to HMRC, a 16.7% increase on last year. With the 31 January 2025 filing deadline approaching, fraudsters are likely to step up their activities.
HMRC reports that around half of all scam reports in the last year were fake tax rebate claims. Fraudsters are usually aiming to get hold of personal information and banking details.
If you receive an email, text or phone call from someone claiming to be from HMRC that asks you for personal information or offers you a tax rebate, there is a useful checklist here that can help you identify a scam.
It is helpful to know that HMRC will never leave voicemails threatening legal action or arrest. Neither will they ask for personal or financial information over text message.
HMRC also will not contact you by email, text, or phone to announce a refund or ask you to request one.
If you have been contacted by someone claiming to be from HMRC and feel unsure whether it is a scam, or you would like to check whether you are due a tax refund, call us at any time and we would be happy to help you.
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/scams-warning-as-self-assessment-deadline-loom
Many business owners we work with feel caught up in the day-to-day drudge. They’re handling customer queries, fixing problems, chasing invoices - and wondering how they’ll ever find the time to step back and think about where the business is heading.
HM Revenue and Customs have reported that 170,000 scam referrals were made to them in the year to July 2025. Encouragingly, this is a 12% reduction on the previous year, however HMRC are warning taxpayers to take care.