HM Revenue & Customs have issued a warning to taxpayers who may receive a fake email giving details of a tax refund which is due. The email will ask you to click on a link to provide your bank details, in order to receive the rebate. As 31st January 2011 was the deadline for online tax returns, this has initiated a new round of email scams. In the last quarter of 2010, fake emails were sent out claiming to be from HMRC, who were in the process of informing taxpayers that they may be owed money, or owe money to HMRC.

Although most taxpayers realise that HMRC would never contact a taxpayer by email, or ask for personal details in this way, the emails appear to be genuine and the promise of a tax rebate can prove to be too tempting for some. The grammar and spelling in the emails appears to be much better than in other fake emails, with the amount of tax repayment promised being a believable sum.

February 2011 has been declared the 2011 Scam Awareness Month, launched by the Office of Fair Trading. It is hoped that this will provide guidance for consumers, helping to make people aware of the scale of the problem. Any sole trader or business that may be due to receive a repayment of tax, will have been notified by their online accountants. Anyone who is unsure of their tax position should contact a low cost accountants who will calculate tax liability for the individual or company each year.

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About The Author

Gary Fields

Content Writer working alongside our expert accountants to bring you the latest Tax and Accounting news.

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