Tax Tree

MamaG12

I recently found out through HMRC that i was due a rebate. on double checking to make sure it was genuine i noticed that the cheque was being sent to a company called Tax Tree. I spoke to HMRC who said i had signed a document giving Tax Tree permission to act as my agent - news to me. After considerable time HMRC agrees to remove them from
my file however, the fact remains that this company has received my rebate.  i have contacted Tax Tree and asked for a copy
of the authorisation form i have allegedly signed. This has arrived today and is clearly just a random signature dated June 2023 and to get my rebate Tax Tree will
charge  45%.  I have never dealt with Tax Tree or ever given anyone authorisation to act on my behalf with HMRC. I did claim a PPI refund in 2017 using another company, and Tax Tree are implying that they work with third parties and that it would have been a document i signed to claim PPI. If this was the case, the signature would be mine and dated 2017! I have asked them to send the cheque for the full
amount of tax rebate to me within  7 days or i will be taking the matter further. Any advice? Has anyone else experienced this?
It’s concerning that HMRC are paying cheques to goodness knows how many companies without checking if their authorisation forms are genuine. I had no communication from
Tax Tree regarding the amount they had claimed until I contacted them asking for my
money.

Dazed_and_C0nfused

Is the refund based on the facts i.e. you received £x in statutory interest and £y tax was deducted from it and Tax Tree have declared those amounts?

When you claimed the PPI refund is irrelevant, did you receive some statutory interest (paid alongside the PPI refund) in the tax year the refund is for?

MamaG12

what about the fact that tax tree have an authorisation form that has not been signed or dated by me? i have absolutely no idea of figures, how would i find that out? My ppi claim
was paid in 2017, dating back to 2002, but the rebate is for 2020/2021

Vizsla1

Exact same thing has happened to me! Tax Tree have (reluctantly) sent me a copy of the form they say I signed - It's not my signature! HMRC saying I need to contact Tax Tree myself but all Tax Tree say is that if I want my refund they will take their fee and send me the remainder! 
I've emailed Tax Tree saying they have 7 days to issue my full refund without deducting any fees or I'm taking the matter further. 
I've also started an official complaint with HMRC. It's ludicrous that HMRC don't check the signatures on these forms before assigning a "Nominee"
Tax Tree are clearly submitting fraudulent claims by forging signatures!! 

Vizsla1

It also doesn't help that it takes an hour or so to get through to HMRC on the phone! So frustrating!

MamaG12

tax tax tree have also sent a digital footprint that they say they capture for this very reason, to prove i did sign and give authorisation. it’s total rubbish. my tax refund is sat in their bank account all the while! who do you complain to about this? where do i start?

dunstonh

I've also started an official complaint with HMRC. It's ludicrous that HMRC don't check the signatures on these forms before assigning a "Nominee"

HMRC do not have a copy of your signature to compare against.   In most cases, these are electronic signatures.

nicke18

Had the same issue, requested authorisation doc from HMRC, signature is a fake.
On their website the ICO registration for tax tree is a fake.
The Company is actually Fast Finance Solutions Ltd trading as Taxtree, they do have a valid ICO certificate although at at an old address. BUT the website nominates Taxtree as the Data controller.
Therefore i have issued a complaint to HMRC for a data breach under GDPR rules. 
If sucessfull we can all claim.

The_squirrell

nicke18 said:

Had the same issue, requested authorisation doc from HMRC, signature is a fake.
On their website the ICO registration for tax tree is a fake.
The Company is actually Fast Finance Solutions Ltd trading as Taxtree, they do have a valid ICO certificate although at at an old address. BUT the website nominates Taxtree as the Data controller.
Therefore i have issued a complaint to HMRC for a data breach under GDPR rules. 
If sucessfull we can all claim.

I am never one to back these companies up, BUT the ICO registration for !!!!!! shows Taxtree as another trading name. Yes, the address has not been updated, but the combination of the two makes it unlikely that there is any serious issue here.

Kaggie25

I’ve had exactly the same issue. I’ve also realised Tax Tree have linked mine and another complaint from someone with a very similar name, and therefore this is a GDPR / Data Protection Issue.  I have made a complaint to Action Fraud and HMRC.  Tax Tree have had three cheques that are due to me, but I haven’t received a penny. I’ve asked for the full amount to be paid to me as I did not sign up with them. They have my signature, but it is a digital signature, and I did not sign their forms.

mexican_dave

It's very probable that TaxTree employees are being creative in their work and as such a acting fraudulently, their company processes are not robust enough to stop this - if they have any processes, likely just want money!
Maybe if enough people contact ActionFraud (or is that InActionFraud) then they MIGHT escalate it to the Met Fraud Team.
HMRC will not be interested, the potential fraud is your problem.