Here's a scary one. I just got an SMS text message from "GOVUK" saying the following

As of 01/09/2016. You have an outstanding tax refund of £265.84 from HMRC. Please fill out the following form to process your claim. http://bit.do/taxrefund-hmrc

If you go to that already suspicious-looking website, it redirects to a web address beginning with http://online.hm-revenue-customs.gov.uk.servref.org.uk/Refund.php?form=Tax-refund-claim... most of which looks OK apart from the fact it's not really a gov.uk website (it's servref.org.uk instead).

It presents a convincing looking form asking for everything that any fraudster could possibly want to steal money from you.

I have reported this to HMRC via their SMS number 60599, but be careful out there folks!

Our clients get them constantly in various forms. You will still only be informed of a refund by letter. HMRC will not email/text/call to tell you this.

Yes scam and a well reported one too. been on various news reports etc.

As above HMRC are still in the last century (thankfully) and any rebates/tax liabilities they contact you about will be by mail only.

just to add if your a PAYE employee its unlikely you would ever get a rebate/demand for a such a small sum as they just adjust your code for the next year to account of any changes.

I recently had a refund of about £75, as I'd apparently paid too much tax last year. I had the letter and the cheque in two separate envelopes on the same day.

I don't trust them when they do stuff like that though as it usually guarantees a f**k up of my tax codes next year

A couple of years ago, they reckoned I earned over 100K a year and decided they were going to take most of my wages off me in tax from the April
I had about 2 weeks to sort it out and after many frantic phone calls and visits to the local tax office (which has now closed ), I finally got it sorted.

I can't understand how they can get a PAYE employees codings and tax wrong? They have all my info, they know what I earn and where I work, so where's the problem and why the f**k ups?

Yeah I guess there is always scope for human error or a glitch but in the main its been very simple for me on PAYE.

I have only had rebates when changes jobs etc where an estimated code is used otherwise its just minor adjustments in the yearly tax code.

If your submitting full tax submissions, have multiple jobs or variable pay is guess there may be more scope for rebates etc but its still all by mail as far as I know.

I have had my tax code changed no fewer than six times in the last three months, including refunds of over six hundred quid and, ahem, three pounds forty-five pence.

The tax office seems to have difficulty with the concept of someone who was a director of his own company, has an independent pension, and is currently on PAYE...

Their systems are completely inadequate unfortunately. And the HMRC average employee has less knowledge than they used to. It's just computer says yes/no. Coding notices are wrong as often as they are right...

Ironically, I've been in (very mild) trouble with the tax man in the UK for making a mistake on my return (my employer hadn't sent me the right info) - with all sorts of threats of potential fines and interest. At exactly the same time, the Dutch tax authorities have screwed up and sent me a bill instead of the rebate I'm owed. Do I get interest and compensation? Of course not. In fact, I had to ask special permission not to pay the bill (even though it was their error). It's no wonder we hate the tax man...

If HMRC are asking for penalties/interest and you can show your employer made the mistake, then you should (hopefully) be able to get any penalties/interest cancelled.

Yup - I think they've let me off that given I'm one of a number of employees with the same issue. It's just ironic that when the boot's on the other foot, the Dutch will get around to paying me when they're good and ready.

Everyone knows the correct address is hmrc/gov.uk.george.agdgdgwngo.ng

They once reckoned that I was receiving a pension (despite the fact I was in my late-20s at the tine), and meant that my tax code was reduced to less than the personal allowance. When I tried to find out where they'd got this obviously wrong information from they went all spymaster general on me, and just said "sources"...!!

To make matters even better, when I pointed out that I wasn't receiving a pension, they said that I'd have to offer proof of that! If anyone has any good suggestions for how you prove you aren't receiving something that you know nothing about then I'd have liked to know at the time. Whole thing took about 6 months to sort out - and obviously with no compensation for lost interest, etc (at a time when banks still paid that!)