Why would HMRC text me about tax credits?

HMRC provide a list of the types of messages they send to their customers using e-mail or text messages, to help reassure people that they are genuine and not phishing or scam e-mails/messages. Reminder messages to renew their tax credit claims, the message directs claimants to the GOV.UK website.

Do HMRC contact you by text about tax credits?

Tax credit claim HMRC may contact you by text message to either invite you to a telephone interview or to ask you to contact us by phone or webchat to discuss your claim. These messages do not ask for personal or financial information and will not include any links to websites.

Do tax credits make mistakes?

You might be able to get HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to cancel the overpayment or reduce what you have to pay. They sometimes make a mistake – you might not have actually been overpaid, or need to pay all the money back.

When do tax credits stop during an examination?

Your tax credit payments should normally continue during an examination. They may stop if HMRC have made a formal request for information and you have not supplied it by the date given in the letter asking for the information, or if HMRC decide that you are not entitled to tax credits or entitled to a lower amount.

What to do if you have been getting the wrong amount of tax credits?

If, at the end of the examination, HMRC decide you have been getting the wrong amount of tax credits, you are likely to be asked to sign a ‘certificate of full disclosure’. When you sign this, you are saying that you have told HMRC everything relevant to your claim.

How to contact the UK tax credits helpline?

You should contact the tax credits helpline on 0345 300 3900 ( NGT text relay if you cannot hear or speak on the phone: dial 18001 then 0345 300 3900) or use the webchat function on GOV.UK. Sometimes people do not know their actual income figure yet for the tax year that has just ended. This is often the case for self-employed tax credit claimants.

How long does the income tax credit last?

Tax credit awards last for a maximum of one tax year (6 April to following 5 April). When you claim, your award is based on your circumstances for the year you claim and your income for the previous tax year. This is your initial award and the payments are provisional.