taxreturngateway.com

dodger1

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

Yes, there are warnings on the front page for driving licences, passports, EHICs, as well as tax returns. However, the intention is to deceive which, in my book, makes them scammers.

No, there is no intention to deceive. They are offering a paid for service which they openly state, that is not scamming.

Hoof_Hearted

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

I can count at least 5 various types of warnings. Plus this website looks nothing like that of HMRC.

Yup, the colours used are completely different:
http://taxreturngateway.com/
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

The "extra services" are minimal. It's a scam to catch out people in a hurry who just see in big writing:

Complete your Self Assessment Tax Return Online

The deadline for online submission is 31st January 2014. You must submit your return on time to avoid a penalty.
SUBMIT YOUR TAX ASSESSMENT ONLINE NOW!

and do not read on to the small writing:

We are not connected to or affiliated with HMRC, DWP or any other official government body. We offer a bespoke, value for money, tax return assistance service for which we levy a charge. You may submit your tax return directly to HMRC at no charge, without the benefits of our services, by visiting the official website.

powerful_Rogue

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

Yup, the colours used are completely different:
http://taxreturngateway.com/
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

The "extra services" are minimal. It's a scam to catch out people in a hurry who just see in big writing:

Complete your Self Assessment Tax Return Online

The deadline for online submission is 31st January 2014. You must submit your return on time to avoid a penalty.
SUBMIT YOUR TAX ASSESSMENT ONLINE NOW!

and do not read on to the small writing:

We are not connected to or affiliated with HMRC, DWP or any other official government body. We offer a bespoke, value for money, tax return assistance service for which we levy a charge. You may submit your tax return directly to HMRC at no charge, without the benefits of our services, by visiting the official website.

But thats the HMRC website. To submit your tax return, you'll visit the Government Gateway which as I said previosuly, looks different to the website in question.

http://www.gateway.gov.uk/

powerful_Rogue

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

The "extra services" are minimal. It's a scam to catch out people in a hurry who just see in big writing:

How can it be a scam if it advises you what the webiste offers! I think the part in bold is important. Dont read what your purchaisng then theres no-one to blame but yourself. The site hasnt hidden what it offers.

bod1467

Yes the colours are similar, but to me they are fundamentally clearly different and the TRG site clearly identifies that they are not HMRC in any way - they even have a huge, clear table of differences AND with a price indication for their service. AND with two APPLY buttons, one for them and one for HMRC.

To me what we have here is a form of "buyer's remorse" - this site is not in any way a scam site.

ThumbRemote

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

Yup, the colours used are completely different:
http://taxreturngateway.com/
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

The "extra services" are minimal. It's a scam to catch out people in a hurry who just see in big writing:

Complete your Self Assessment Tax Return Online

The deadline for online submission is 31st January 2014. You must submit your return on time to avoid a penalty.
SUBMIT YOUR TAX ASSESSMENT ONLINE NOW!

and do not read on to the small writing:

We are not connected to or affiliated with HMRC, DWP or any other official government body. We offer a bespoke, value for money, tax return assistance service for which we levy a charge. You may submit your tax return directly to HMRC at no charge, without the benefits of our services, by visiting the official website.

To be fair, the colour scheme isn't that similar - their site just looks like a modestly professional accountancy site. Also, the comparison of services box is right at the top of the screen so it's immediately visible, unlike the ukpassport site (which really is a scam) where it's hidden right at the end of the page.

I do think their URL is trying to sucker people in though, using the government terms tax return and gateway.

Hoof_Hearted

powerful_Rogue wrote: »

But thats the HMRC website. To submit your tax return, you'll visit the Government Gateway which as I said previosuly, looks different to the website in question.

http://www.gateway.gov.uk/

So it's pure coincidence that the colour used is identical to that of the HMRC site? Why not make it red or pink?

ThumbRemote

NickYCFC wrote: »

At the end, the site predicted I would owe £438 in tax and asked me for a payment of £450, without which they would not accept my return. I checked with my Chartered Accountant wife and decided it was reasonable for HMRC to request the payment...and submitted the money.

4 days later, I got post through from the HMRC telling me I was owed £600 in tax.

A couple of questions for clarification:

Do you have access to the wording used when they asked for £450? Was it clear that this was for paying them, and not paying the tax bill?

Also, was the site really over £1000 out? You said that it calculated a £438 tax bill, but HMRC said you were owed money? Or was that a typo and you owed them £600?

(If so, I'd still be interested to know why they got it around £150 wrong - if they are charging that much for a service, I'd expect it to be completely accurate).

powerful_Rogue

Hoof_Hearted wrote: »

So it's pure coincidence that the colour used is identical to that of the HMRC site? Why not make it red or pink?

Its a standard colour scheme many sites use.

Show me an accountancy site using red or pink?

Even if they did use red or pink, there would still be people in a hurry and not bother reading what they had purchased!

dodger1

ThumbRemote wrote: »

A couple of questions for clarification:

Do you have access to the wording used when they asked for £450? Was it clear that this was for paying them, and not paying the tax bill?

Also, was the site really over £1000 out? You said that it calculated a £438 tax bill, but HMRC said you were owed money? Or was that a typo and you owed them £600?

(If so, I'd still be interested to know why they got it around £150 wrong - if they are charging that much for a service, I'd expect it to be completely accurate).

Now that's a good point. I don't believe they are scammers but they should get the figures correct. That could possibly be a way of getting a refund.