"Stolen" Tax Rebate cheque

antonic

I am no apologist for HMRC, but read my post #2 again and answer the following question :

Did HMRC have your bank account details ?

If the answer is YES, I can understand your anger

If the answer is NO, how else were HMRC to make the repayment to you ?

Also HMRC envelopes DO NOT say they are from HMRC, BUT they do give a return address to where undelivered mail should be sent.

I have a feeling that its either a dishones postie OR someone who knows where you live has stolen the order and impersonated you to cash it.

Have HMRC made the payment direct to your bank account as I suggested in my post #2 ?.

cormacks wrote: »

For me they should
a) give you option to pay it directly into your bank a/c
b) Send it on a signed for service (not in a HMRC Envelope) so it doesn't get stolen / misplaced by the postman

So it is their fault really - I was due the money Aug 6th, it's now 9/11/12 and been told another 8 weeks. Wonder whether HMRC will be including 5 months interest on the missing refund:mad:

TM1976

cormacks wrote: »

For me they should
a) give you option to pay it directly into your bank a/c

Totally agree. It's about time HMR&C entered the 21st century or at least the last quarter of the 20th century and started making these payments electronically.

Even if you send your bank details they don't make an electronic transfer they just send a cheque to your bank by post.

cormacks wrote: »

b) Send it on a signed for service (not in a HMRC Envelope) so it doesn't get stolen / misplaced by the postman

Realistically this is never going to happen and it would seriously increase their postal cost. Also it doesn't actually stop the postie stealing or losing your mail it just gives you a record of it being delivered.

Normally a cheque should be a secure mode of payment as it can only be cashed by the payee. If your name is John Smith or something it may be less so. Even so it's still a traceable payment even though a cheque cashing agency.

dori2o

cormacks wrote: »

For me they should
a) give you option to pay it directly into your bank a/c
b) Send it on a signed for service (not in a HMRC Envelope) so it doesn't get stolen / misplaced by the postman

So it is their fault really - I was due the money Aug 6th, it's now 9/11/12 and been told another 8 weeks. Wonder whether HMRC will be including 5 months interest on the missing refund:mad:

So you would be happy to receive a letter telling you there was a tax refund due that you previously had no knowledge about but asking you how you want the payment to be made, you would then have to write back to HMRC with the appropriate bank details creating a 4 week delay (at best assuming the payment is not selected for random security checks) whilst your letter was dealt with, and then wait a further 4/5 days for it to be credited to your account?

There is no problem sending Cheques. Out of the thousands that are sent every week, the vast majority find their way to the right person. It is the cheapest option for sending payments.

As for the interest, assuming the repayment is for the tax year 2010/11 or earlier, then the applicable interest will be recalculated as the point the cheque is reissued. If the repayment is for the 11/12 tax year, interest is not currently payable on these payments.

lyster101

Cormacks, did you ever get this resolved?

I am experiencing almost exactly what you described above. My amount is lower and I was misinformed to call a fraud telephone hotline first.

My cheque was 'dated' 13th Sepember and, I think, posted at the end of that month when I was out of the country. The cheque was intercepted and cashed at Santander. So not a cashing agency. Just a terribly-administered bank. I even have the sort code and account number for this account. When I called Santander, they acted very peculiarly when I gave them the account details and that I wouldn't be told any more about the account as it wasn't mine! So a cheque in my name was cashed by Santander into an account that is not in my name and HMRC have still been able to recover it. It is now 22nd January and all I get is "We're waiting to hear back from our specialist team in Worthing". I've been fed that line now for 6 weeks...

I'm only PAYE so I think they could painlessly adjust up my taxfree allowance. Lord knows, they are quick enough to raise it when they see fit. Yes, it'll be slower to filter through to me but it also seems infallable. Cheaper, too, for HMRC to administer.

It is the painfully slow process that HMRC have applied that I am most angry about, rather than that it is was stolen in the first place. Santander, however, takes the medal for being most useless in this.

ponbeam

Santander wouldn't tell you anything as it would breach data protection.
HMRC will liaise with Santander and recover the funds.
Have you reported the theft to the police?

antonic

Totally understand how you feel .

Follow my advice in post #2 in this thread, you MAY get your money quicker.

lyster101 wrote: »

Cormacks, did you ever get this resolved?

I am experiencing almost exactly what you described above. My amount is lower and I was misinformed to call a fraud telephone hotline first.

My cheque was 'dated' 13th Sepember and, I think, posted at the end of that month when I was out of the country. The cheque was intercepted and cashed at Santander. So not a cashing agency. Just a terribly-administered bank. I even have the sort code and account number for this account. When I called Santander, they acted very peculiarly when I gave them the account details and that I wouldn't be told any more about the account as it wasn't mine! So a cheque in my name was cashed by Santander into an account that is not in my name and HMRC have still been able to recover it. It is now 22nd January and all I get is "We're waiting to hear back from our specialist team in Worthing". I've been fed that line now for 6 weeks...

I'm only PAYE so I think they could painlessly adjust up my taxfree allowance. Lord knows, they are quick enough to raise it when they see fit. Yes, it'll be slower to filter through to me but it also seems infallable. Cheaper, too, for HMRC to administer.

It is the painfully slow process that HMRC have applied that I am most angry about, rather than that it is was stolen in the first place. Santander, however, takes the medal for being most useless in this.

lyster101

Thanks for the replies, ponbeam and antonic.

ponbeam wrote: »

Santander wouldn't tell you anything as it would breach data protection.
HMRC will liaise with Santander and recover the funds.
Have you reported the theft to the police?

This compounds my frustration; someone steals c.£1k from me and is protected by data protection legislation. I can only imagine that this liason is ongoing, although it seems clear cut to me. Police were informed as I had to forward CRN to HMRC, perhaps relating to insurance on an reissue...

Antonic, I might do as you suggest in your point 4 at the beginning of February if I've not heard any more. It really shouldn't take 4 months to recover this. In the letter, I'd also ask them for interest on the amount, albeit about £7.50.

lyster101

As an update to the above, today I was credited with the refund. I was also overcredited by 27p so I assume that this is some sort of derisory interest. I calculate an annualised rate of 0.05% for the six month period it took HMRC to deal with this.

I had sent a letter in early February which seemed to cross with their final decision to refund me and they included a form to enter my bank details on, which I returned the following day. It has taken a further month for the payment, using the details from this letter, to be enacted.

I know neither who stole this, nor how they did. I do not know how Santander were so lax in their checks to let it happen and have had neither an apology from them or an explanation. Recently, when paying in a cheque at Halifax, I asked them if it might happen there and was met with astonished looks from all the cashiers about Santander's behaviour.

I didn't hear from Cormacks.

But I do have what I should have had in September.

xylophone

But I do have what I should have had in September.

Which is good to hear!:T

Steve_RS

Just registered here, after reading this thread.

It appears my company is in the same predicament as the above.

I was due a CIS tax refund (submitted April) - due to be paid round June time. (Well that was the case last year...) (Just over £1000)

June came and went, so I got on to my accountant and told them to chase it up. Got a reply back saying payments can take until october to be processed, and to be patient till then. So ignored it till after october.

Still no payment by last week, so decided to check things were in order. I investigated the client I was working for had made the appropriate CIS deductions and that all the payments had been made to the relevant HMRC account. The answer was yes. So then I rang my accountant and confirmed it, and she got onto HMRC on my behalf.

Had a phone call this morning from my accountant saying the cheque was issued on June 12th and that it had been cashed in.

She said to triple check my bank statements to make sure that I hadn't missed it. (Not that I'm going to miss £1,000 refund from HMRC) - but nope - no record of it on my statements.

Have rang HMRC accounts myself and they've put it in for 'refferral' whatever that means?

My accountant has now sent (on her own back, mind) a written letter requesting all the details of the payment as I am deeply concerned about fraudulent activity.

I dont know whether to just sit it out or try and push further?

As said, I cant see how anyone in their right mind would allow a 'ltd-company' cheque to be cashed at a 'moneyshop' or 'cheque cashing agency'?!? (And the audacity when its from HMRC???)