Random Credit from "SA"

sarah_elton

£32.50 been credited to my current account today, purely with the description "SA.".

Called HSBC and they said they have no more details but the person I spoke to had seen this before and said it was probably from the Dept of Work and Pensions.

I'm baffled - I don't receive any benefits at all and have never had this credit before. I haven't had any letters about it but I guess something might be stuck in the post.

Am wondering if maybe it's a tax refund (I sent my self-assessment off back in June and haven't heard anything since), but I had a feeling that HMRC usually sent cheques.

Just wondered if anyone here has seen credits marked "SA." and can shed any light? Not complaining when free money turns up but if it's a mistake someone will probably want it back at some point.

jonesMUFCforever

Well ''SA'' could well mean self-assessment.
If Inland revenue have your bank details there is no reason why they should not send money direct.

sarah_elton

jonesMUFCforever wrote: »

Well ''SA'' could well mean self-assessment.

That did cross my mind... I'll keep my fingers crossed it's that as if so it means I didn't come out owing any more tax this year.

Typical HMRC though - no explanation. :rolleyes: I once had a cheque through for a few hundred quid. No covering letter, just a cheque in an envelope. I was thoroughly confused because it was a couple of months after I sent off my first ever tax return and I knew I owed money for the previous tax year - I thought they'd processed my form incorrectly, or I'd filled something in wrong. Phoned them up and it turned out it was a refund for a tax year about three years previously.

rdp1980

SA is indeed, in this case, Self Assessment.

I had something similar a few years back and a few weeks later an account statement came through, detailing this amount as an overpayment of tax being paid back to me.

Edinburghlass_2

I too had a random SA amount of £12 odd, then got a letter from the IR to say I had a refund of £12 odd

sarah_elton

Woooooo! I feel less guilty now about buying those DVDs in HMV this morning. Thanks all - I guess the statement is in the post somewhere.

Mikeyorks

SA refunds are via BACS .... hence the ability to add a decriptor (which will probably be a bit more fulsome after your Bank processes more data overnight).

PAYE refunds tend to be via cheque ..... they will send these direct to your account if you've provided the data ..... but all you get as a description, of course, is 'cheque'! You then have to await the paperwork and tie the amounts up.

I once had a cheque through for a few hundred quid. No covering letter, just a cheque in an envelope.

...... early days, I suspect, as HMRC print their own refund cheques and the initial technology demanded the assessment and cheque had to come from separate printers ..... and they couldn't merge them into the same envelope. Not a regular recipient of refund payments ..... but I think you will find they're all in the same envelope now.

sarah_elton

Curiouser and curiouser.

Coincedentally my tax statement arrived yesterday for the year 2007-2008 (i.e. the result of my self-assessment).

I owe £88.40.

No detail has been added to the credit description. Oh well, nice of them to give me 32 quid towards the 88 I owe!

I could just phone HMRC and find out what it is but it's more fun this way.

rdp1980

sarah_elton wrote: »

Curiouser and curiouser.

Coincedentally my tax statement arrived yesterday for the year 2007-2008 (i.e. the result of my self-assessment).

I owe £88.40.

No detail has been added to the credit description. Oh well, nice of them to give me 32 quid towards the 88 I owe!

I could just phone HMRC and find out what it is but it's more fun this way.

Are you sure the £88.40 is not a payment on account for the 2008-2009 tax year?