HMRC alert as 1 million taxpayers 'haven't claimed money they're owed'

HMRC has issued a warning to nearly one million Brits who may not realise they need to claim their tax refund. The authority posted on X: "Don't miss out on your tax refund! Almost 1 million people haven't claimed the money they're owed. Use the HMRC app to check today."

Taxpayers can also use the checker tool onGov.uk to see if they might be eligible for a tax refund. These refunds are typically given to individuals who have overpaid tax from various income sources.

This could include overpayment on pension, job income, redundancy payments, UK income for those living abroad, foreign income for those residing in the UK and interest from savings or payment protection insurance. One of the most common reasons for overpaying tax is having an incorrect tax code.

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If you have overpaid tax, you should receive a P800 tax calculation letter. It is expected that four million of these letters will be sent out this summer.

However, tax refunds are not automatically paid out, so you will need to follow the instructions in the letter to claim your money. Your letter will indicate whether you can claim the money online to receive a bank transfer or cheque.

This can be done through the official government website. Alternatively, you can claim a refund via your personal tax account, HMRC app or by contacting HMRC directly.

Once your refund has been claimed, it should arrive within five working days if you claimed online or within six weeks if you requested a cheque to be sent to you. Your P800 letter may also state that HMRC will send you a cheque, in which case you should receive this within 14 days of the date on your letter.

The letter will provide a detailed breakdown of the calculations HMRC made to determine how much tax you should have paid compared to what you actually paid. If you believe there's an error in these calculations, you will need to contact HMRC.

All P800 letters are expected to be delivered by 30 November 2025. If you believe you are due a refund but haven't received a letter yet, it may be because the department has not yet calculated your tax.

With these letters landing on doormats, Money-Saving Expert issued a warning that fraudsters and scammers may attempt to impersonate HMRC offering these refunds. One of the biggest giveaways that it may be a criminal and not the tax authority is if you receive a text, email or call about a tax refund.

HMRC will always send a letter about any tax refund you are owed. The experts also warned people who need to claim their refund online to be vigilant about what site they're using and which links they click on before providing their information.

HMRC will also never contact you out of the blue to confirm banking details or request a payment.