Tax rebate question need help???

25225582

Hello this is a big question as its put me in a situation.

I received a tax rebate 2 months ago with my the first letter of my name and my last name on the letter and cheque.

Problem is I have now is I have someone else in my household with same ennitials and I has cashed the cheque and didn't even realise at the time.

and it bein a substantial amount £1k+ I have no way of paying it back straight away as a also don't work.
the thing that bothers me is I had every right to cash it in the bank and if it wasn't mine the bank should have checked up on this as to the reason why cheques take 3 days plus to clear.

Now the family member is taking it out on me in a dramatic way and I understand this saying im goin to go to prison eg and I really don't no what to do I feel sick and so low but I really didn't no.

Any help as to what I can do or what is goin to happen if anyone works for HRMC and can clear this for me please

Thankyou

System

The letter should have had the National Insurance number on it? If you knew someone else in the house had the same initials then you should have clarified who it was for before taking it to the bank.
Nothing to do with HMRC really except the person the cheque was for should make sure HMRC has their full name to avoid future mishaps like this.

jamesd

The family member is right to be extremely upset with you. It's a lot of money that you have taken.

You had no right to pay the cheque into the bank. The bank has no way to check whether you are the correct person with that name or not. Blaming them won't work. You are the person who is responsible, not the family member, the bank or HMRC.

The family member could report this to HMRC as fraud and HMRC might well choose to seek prosecution of you. HMRC could also or instead seek to have the money repaid to them as part of a fraudulent transaction, something that is sadly routine for HMRC. If they do that it is likely that your bank will tell you that they are closing your account, giving that as the reason, and that you are not to try to open an account with them ever again.

Why can't you pay it back straight away? How fast can you pay it back? Have you asked your bank whether they can reverse the transaction because you accidentally paid in a cheque that was for a different person with the same initial and surname?

You need to get this money to the right person as soon as you possibly can. Knowing why you can't do it immediately can help to work out what options are available to you.

GillyR-J

So do we take it you have blown someone else's thousand pounds?
I think I would be rather annoyed with you too. I take it the money does belong to the other family member.... in which case you need to find yourself some work....any work and pay it back pronto.

Otherwise your relative could go to the HMRC and ask for a replacement cheque as they have not rec'd it. This will open up a can of worms for you as should have checked all the details in the letter NI number,tax code etc
You have committed fraud and for once your bank is not to blame.

jem16

25225582 wrote: »

Problem is I have now is I have someone else in my household with same ennitials and I has cashed the cheque and didn't even realise at the time.

If you don't work why would you have expected a tax rebate? Sounds like you were pulling a fast one and have got caught out.

xylophone

I had every right to cash it in the bank

How do you make this out? You have acknowledged that this money was not yours.