Income Tax refund

Joannef_2

Does anyone know roughly how long it takes the Inland Revenue to deal with a tax refund request?

I think I overpaid Income Tax for 2008/09 so I sent my P60 and P45 to the tax office in mid June but haven't heard anything back yet.

Thanks.

MrCarrot

In the past when I've had refunds of around £40 they've been processed very quickly.

However this year I was due a refund of £1000 and it took a long while. In the end I called them up and they said there had been a mistake, and they paid the money into my account a week later.

My accountant said they are dragging their feet on purpose and only paying out refunds when chased. I would get on the phone and do just that.

Edit: I noticed you said mid-june. I think my request for a refund was in January and I waited until about June. I'm not sure if a month and a half would be considered a long time ?

bloss

at the moment an age... i've had last years back (and this was only after playing merry hell on the telephone) but due to a new computer system currently being introduced at the tax office in question it could take months-think there was a piece in the express or mail a while back that reported some people have been waiting over a year...they also had a 4 week backlog to process post. my advice is to get on the fone, take no fob offs from an adviser, ask to speak to a manager, take their name and ask them to clarify exactly what they've said. in addition, send everything via recorded delivery and cc in the CAB and various other organisations. it's your money, you're owed it. and good luck xx

Joannef_2

Thanks for the replies. I sent it recorded delivery so I know my request was received by them. I'm sure if we owed them money it would be dealt with quicker and they would be chasing us!

p-pincher

just ring the tax office you sent to and ask for an estimation. the problem at the moment is that there has been an update for the computers which means no post could be processed for a couple of weeks. the advisor you speak to will be able to tell you what kind of date they are upto, bearing in mind the date it would have arrived and then allowing for the time for your repayment to actually reach you.

Tarasam

bloss wrote: »

at the moment an age... i've had last years back (and this was only after playing merry hell on the telephone) but due to a new computer system currently being introduced at the tax office in question it could take months-think there was a piece in the express or mail a while back that reported some people have been waiting over a year...they also had a 4 week backlog to process post. my advice is to get on the fone, take no fob offs from an adviser, ask to speak to a manager, take their name and ask them to clarify exactly what they've said. in addition, send everything via recorded delivery and cc in the CAB and various other organisations. it's your money, you're owed it. and good luck xx

Seriously, this action is NOT neccessary and the fob offs are the info the advisors are given by the managers, speaking to a manager will not get you any more info nor will it speed up the refund. All you're doing is !!!!ing off the advisors for no logical reason and wasting your own time.

p-pincher

Seriously, this action is NOT neccessary and the fob offs are the info the advisors are given by the managers, speaking to a manager will not get you any more info nor will it speed up the refund. All you're doing is !!!!ing off the advisors for no logical reason and wasting your own time.

I agree completely and after being on the contact centre and working on the phones for 2 years i can honestly say you will not get you refund any quicker. The claims are completed in date order from when they are received. If you think that it would be quicker if you owed money it would still take the same amount of time for the assessment to be completed.

System

There have been several similar posts like this one recently and various people have responded explaining that the longer than usual delay has been caused by the implementation of the new PAYE service system. The old one was closed down on the 12th of June and the new one rolled out gradually from 29th June. That left a period of a few weeks when no post at all could be worked and as a result a backlog built up which the staff are currently working through.

So rather than HMRC dragging their feet because a refund is involved what is actually happening is that staff are trying to negotiate their way around a completely new PAYE computer system which as per usual is experiencing teething troubles. This also means that the staff are a bit slower processing the post. You can't expect everyone to be up to full speed just yet and as the staff in the contact centres aren't actually working the post they can't pick out yours and put it to the top of the pile. As Jimmo says long gone are the days when you could actually talk to the person who would answer your letters and process your claim. The people to blame for that are the governments and senior civil servants who earn considerably more than the people frequently berated on the phone.

suso

Joannef wrote: »

Thanks for the replies. I sent it recorded delivery so I know my request was received by them. I'm sure if we owed them money it would be dealt with quicker and they would be chasing us!

The best thing to do
1.check the royal mail website to see if and when it has been delivered.
2. If it has been delivered call HMRC, ask them to check the post turnaround for the office you sent it to.
3. If it is within the turnaround time, sit tight and wait for them to catch up.
4. If it is outside the turnaround time, explain you sent it recorded delivery and give them the tracking ref, and delivery date (a signed for name would be handy but not essential) and they will email the office to track it down and process it. If they have lost it they will contact you (give them your phone number)

If it hasn't been delivered contact royal mail.

If it hasn't been delivered phone HMRC explain the situation they might have all the details on their computer by now. (If there was a gap in between employments they might need to know what your were doing.) If they have then they can email the service office and you should get i processed without having to send in the info again.l

All in all theres no need to cheese off the advisor on the phone, and no need to harrass the manager..

trinidadone

I have just submitted a complaint to HMR&C. This is my complaint:

I write to log an official complaint under Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs complaints procedure.

My complaint regards a lengthy delay HMRC are, and continue to take, to assess and pay me, an overpayment of tax for tax year 2008 –2009.


On Tuesday 16th June 2009, I telephoned HMR&C to seek advise on how I can claim back an overpayment of paid tax through my employment and savings accounts.

Wednesday 17th June 2009 I followed the exact advise presented to me by the call centre, and sent a letter outlining my employment history, total amount over paid in saving account tax and enclosed two P60 forms.

Tuesday 30th June 2009 I heard nothing from the HMR&C so I made a second telephone call to the call centre. Dispite my letter posted two weeks from this date, the call centre was unable to confirm if my letter and documents had arrived. I was advised, as a new computer system had been installed the call centre was unable to confirm any details, and I was therefore advised to make a further call back the following day. I was also advised the Lothians tax office, which was dealing with my claim had a high around time of ten weeks. As you can imagine, I was extremely concerned to learn this tax office would be taking as much as two and a half months to address simple tax claims from the general public.

Wednesday 1st July 2009. I had now made my third telephone call to the HMR&C call centre to again enquire about my claim. On this occasion the call centre informed me again, they were unable to inform me if my letter and documentation had arrived safely. This again concerned me. I was also informed once more, due to the new computer system, the call centre again was unable to provide any information regarding my tax claim.

The call centre was unable to answer simple questions such as confirming if my letter had arrived at the offices, when it would be addressed, was there sufficient information or any other question relating to my claim. What concerned me most is, the call centre now informed me the tax office would now be taking seven months to address tax claims from members of the public. This was clearly unacceptable information.

On 7th July 2009, I made my fourth telephone call to HMR&C to again find out if my tax claim had arrived at the tax office. I was advised once more the call centre was again unable to confirm if my letter and my documentation had arrived safely at the tax office. I was also informed again, the tax office dealing with my claim was still taking seven months to deal with my claim. This was now three weeks since I had submitted a letter and sensitive documentation through the post, which included my employment details, my full name, full address and other identity information. It was at this point I was beginning to feel deeply concerned that personal information relating to myself have been mislaid somewhere. I had been a victim of identity left in the past, and therefore was contemplating that my details had fallen into the wrong hands.

On 21st July 2009, I made yet another telephone call to the HMR&C (telephone call five) again requesting confirmation my letter and documentations had arrived safely. I again was informed, despite almost five weeks since I submitted my claim, the call centre again was unable to confirm if my letter had arrived, or when will I expect to receive a refund of tax, which was owed to me.

On 28th July 2009, I made call number six to HMR&C again requesting staff to confirm if my letter had arrived at the tax office. On this occasion I was informed a letter had been sent, dated 24th July requesting additional information. I informed the tax office, despite my claim submitted on 17th June, I received no correspondence, no acknowledgement and no information regarding my claim. I enquired what information was needed, as I had presented all information provided to me in my first telephone call on 16th June 2009.

Oddly enough, call centre was unable to inform me what information the tax office requested. I asked the call centre why had the tax office not contacted me by email or my mobile telephone number, which was included in my claim. As the call centre had no information relating to my claim, they were unable to confirm if my contact details were included in my claim.

It was at this point I informed the call centre I wanted to raise an official complaint under the HMR&C complaints procedure. I was clearly unhappy that my claim had not been looked at. I was unhappy the call centre was unable to confirm if my claim had arrived. I was unhappy the call centre was unable to give me clear information on what further information was required. I was also unhappy the call centre did not even have a copy electronically of the information I presented to the tax office sent on 17th June 2009. Above all, I was also very concerned the call centre was unable to clarify if my claim had been received at all. With identity theft on the increase, it is clear the tax office have poor computer systems in place.

I had to supply contact details to the call centre again which were included in my original claim, and was informed a telephone call would be made shortly.

On 29th July 2009, I received a P92 form to complete, requesting additional information outside of my employment, The form had been sent second class, and had taken five days to arrive at my address. I telephoned the HMR&C again (sixth time) and informed the call centre, the information required was none. HMR&C wanted to know my current employment status, if I was receiving a pension and my employment history outside of my employment, which I was claiming for. ALL of these questions relating to “NO” or “NONE” I provided this information immediately to the call centre. I was very concerned to why someone in the tax office could not of simply contacted me by the email address or the mobile number I presented in my claim. I am also clearly unhappy this information was not presented to my in my first telephone call to the tax office call centre and it would have been helpful to of been sent this form automatically in my first enquiry. Instead the P92 had increased the delay of my claim by a further week.

The call centre again told me, that someone would make contact with me on my mobile number, which has not happened.

I sent the completed P92 on the same day I received this letter, 29th July 2009 by first class post.

On 6th August 2009, I made another telephone call to HMR&C again requesting when I will receive monies, which are rightfully owed to me. I also enquired why I had not received two telephone call backs and enquired about my complaint. I was advised my complaint had been logged informally which I was clearly unhappy to learn, because I clearly expressed I wish to make a formal complaint in the telephone call of 29th July 2009. I now was advised; I needed to put my complaint in writing.

On 11th August I made my yes another telephone call, again requesting information. On this occasion I asked if the P92 form sent to the tax office on 29th July 2009 had arrive, the call centre informed me they were unable to confirm the arrival of this form, and told me this tax office was working on a four to five week time frame. I enquired about the calls I should have received by the tax office; I also asked when my claim would be addressed. The call centre was unable to answer of these questions.

I am not prepared to make any further telephone calls to this shambolic government organisation. It is clear there are very clear problems concerning HMR&C. Currently despite various deadlines, and a number of telephone calls, I still have no information regarding my claim and when will I be receiving monies owed to me by this organisation.

I urgently urge you to address the points and experiences raised in this complaint, and please provide me with a copy of the complaints procedure as quickly as possible.

I am deeply unhappy with the poor customer service presented to me by this organisation.

I look forward to a swift response.

Sorry for the loenth of this message, but as you can see these are held up.

the tax office have snet me an acknowledgement. two months and still waiting

suso

trinidadone wrote: »

I have just submitted a complaint to HMR&C. This is my complaint:

post trimmed

So you phoned up on the 30/6 and was advised it was going to approx 10 weeks. so what do you do. phone back the following day.

What did you expect to be told!

When you were told that they couldn't confirm receipt of the letter what did you say, did they explain that notes are not put on the system until the case is being worked on. Letters waiting to be worked on are not logged, just put in date order and work through in order.

Phone call 4 you were concerned that personal and sensitive information was mislaid. As this has happened to you before, you did send it recorded delivery didn't you?

As all the calls to the call centre are recorded it would be interesting to hear how much you were told and how much you listened to.