Tax refund after 5/6 years

lockheed

I am owed a tax refund (PAYE) for years 2010/2011 and 2011/2012. When I checked the deadlines last time, I found out I had 6 years to do that. I have been living abroad since then.

I used to put it off because every time I tried doing that, I found it extremely confusing. According to HMRC, I had to create an online SelfAssesment account, but to do it I had to give a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR), which - according to the very same website - “is only issued by HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) when you, or your client, have registered for Self Assessment.”
Obliviously, being on PAYE, I was never issued it and so I could not register for SA account. So every year, after several hours of fiddling and getting nowhere, I gave up to try the next year. “I still have time till 2017” I though!

But when I tried to finally get this done this April, it turned out the time limit changed from 6 to 4 years, and now I missed the new deadline by just few days.

Is there any way to claim it back regardless?

I read here about some Extra Statutory Concession B14
http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/news/article-2081873/HM-Revenue--Customs-cut-time-allowed-reclaim-overpaid-tax.html

And here again is some more on exceptions: http://www.rossmartin.co.uk/tax-guides/347-time-limits-for-assessment-and-claims

How do I go about getting the refund? I can’t even contact bloody HMRC, because to do that apparently I have to have a SA account!

Caz3121

as per both your links, the exception applies where the reason for the overpayment is due to 'an error by the Inland Revenue [now HMRC] or another Government Department, and where there is no dispute or doubt as to the facts.’
does that apply in your case?

lockheed

If you don't count changing rules without knowledge of payees, then no. I am potentially asking about advice on something along the lines of "please, please I only missed it by few weeks and you changed the rules".

Darksparkle

You don't need to be registered for self assessment to claim a tax refund. You don't need to be registered for self assessment to call HMRC.

The change in time limits where announced in 2008, it's not a recent change.