HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is always looking for ways of improving communication with customers and this means they may occasionally contact you in new ways.
HMRC appreciate that you need to be able to confirm that any electronic contact you receive from them is genuine and to help you do this a list is provided below of the emails and texts (Secure Message Service (SMS)) that HMRC sends out.
HMRC will never send notifications of a tax rebate, or ask you to disclose personal or payment information by email. If you have any doubt that an email you receive from HMRC is genuine please do not follow any links, disclose any personal details or respond to it. Please forward it to HMRC at phishing@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk then delete it.
HMRC sends informational emails several times a year to employers who have registered to receive them. These emails never ask you to provide personal or financial information.
The latest batch of emails issued by HMRC will be sent from 15 to 19 April 2013. The emails are titled 'Important Information for Employers' providing useful information for employers. The emails also include links, one of which directs recipients to pages on the HMRC website at:
www.hmrc.gov.uk/security/index.htm
HMRC will contact customers who have submitted an EU VAT refund claim that has failed the member state validation checks. HMRC will provide details on how to correct the claim in order to successfully re-submit it.
HMRC will contact customers who have used HMRC Online Services to register a company for VAT purposes. HMRC will be providing information on how to create a new Government Gateway account in order to file VAT returns and change registration details online.
Transactis, working on behalf of HMRC, is writing to certain tax credits customers whose claims have been selected for checking. HMRC will send reminder SMS messages to customers who do not reply to the letters.
The SMS message will not ask you to provide any personal or financial information.
HMRC, or Transactis working on behalf of HMRC, will never ask you to disclose personal or payment information by email.
