We Fight Any Claim - HMRC refund. Can this be a potential scam?

1sMa

Dear All,

I need a bit of an advice as I am puzzled and feel that maybe I could have been played but stopped in the process of submitting a claim form via "We Fight Any Claims (WFAC)" for tax refunds.

I have received 3 WFAC texts starting from the 15th of November 2021 stating that 20% of my PPI compensation was paid to the HMRC and I may be due to tax refund.

I have not click on the link nor reply but today I received a call from WFAC stating the same thing.

I am usually cautious about this sort of calls but today I might have slipt.

She took me through the link after checking the security questions. The link goes to an EZsign form, I have ticked couple of ticks, signed electronically and I gave my NI Number where I have stopped at the details about my earnings and the name changed from WFAC to Brookdale Tax Refund Specialists:



I was not comfortable giving these details out and ended the call.

Even though I have used WFAC in the past for PPI claims, it's only after the call that I did a bit of an investigation finding out that WFAC LTD is recently dissolved on the 12th of October 2021 but "We Fight Any Claim Limited" is still active.

My questions are simple:

1. With my electronic signature and my NI number can WFAC or Brookdale Tax Refund Specialists are still entitled to claim without my consent (even if I have not submitted the form and not given further information)?

2. Are Brookdale Tax Refund Specialists with WFAC are reputable or trustworthy to handle a claim (specifically on tax refunds)?

3. Can I be at potential risks providing my details to them (I think I did good to stop in the middle of call and not providing further info)?

I found it all a bit dodgy with the dissolution of a company to another and a third party to handle the claims and tax refunds.

Can you please help and give any advices or recommendations?

Thanks in advance.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

that 20% of my PPI compensation was paid to the HMRC

That's wrong. Tax isn't deducted from PPI refunds. But it is deducted from the statutory interest paid alongside the PPI refund. So you could have had a payout of say £5,000 but only £300 tax might have been deducted.

I may be due to tax refund.

That's true

If you think you are due a tax refund is there are any reason you wouldn't make a claim from HMRC yourself?

MalMonroe

You do not need WFAC - or anyone else - to assist you, you can do it yourself as Dazed_and_C0nfused says - and you won't have to pay a penny to a third party, whether it be WFAC or Brooksdale Tax Refund Specialists. I really hate these parasitic companies. Wish I'd thought of setting up such a business myself, I could have made thousands by now. But I couldn't do that to anyone, they make easy money out of people who don't realise that they can actually claim for themselves, free of charge.

You can either write to HMRC - or the easiest way is to just login to your personal HMRC account online and make an enquiry there if you think you may be due a tax refund.

Any forms WFAC give you, you can obtain yourself and complete without their help.  

If they don't have your consent, they won't be able to proceed. But if I were you I'd not have anything more to do with them. 

sourcrates

All you need do is ask HMRC to send you a form to claim back any tax on your PPI you might have overpaid.

Its HMRC Form R40, to complete the form, the following is just some of the information that you will need:

• Your personal details and national insurance number
• Information about your income (found on your old P45 or P60)
• Interest earned (statutory interest on PPI and interest on other savings)
• How much tax has been deducted from the statutory interest portion of your PPI pay out
• Repayment instructions

I believe you can also do this from your personal tax account online.

You do not require the use of any 3rd party help to do this, if you can pick up a phone and speak into it, your good to go.