A woman issued a warning to other taxpayers after she was left out while trying to claim a tax refund.
Julie Pulford, a mother of two who lives in Twickenham, accidentally used an outside company to process her application after being convinced she was dealing with HMRC.
His employer had informed him that he might be entitled to tax relief due to the coronavirus pandemic.
You can claim a tax exemption of £6 per week, with the amount you get from the rate at which you pay tax.
For example, if you pay the fundamental tax rate of 20%, get £1. 20 per week in tax relief, which is around £60 per year.
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That’s what Julie expected to receive, but she says the request was sent to a company rather than to her bank account.
Julie thought she had dealt with HMRC, but instead, she had used a claims reimbursement company to process the refund on her behalf after seeing an ad on Facebook.
These corporations say they can help consumers with their tax refunds; however, the difference is that they charge fees of up to 48%. HMRC does this for free.
Have you been left out of a claims reimbursement company?Let us know: mirror. money. saving@mirror. co. uk
“The logo and logo online had the same colours as HMRC and were very convincing. It was an online way and it was very easy to complete,” Julie said.
“My employer told me it was simple and it was an online form, so I didn’t think about it. “
It warned in the past that claims reimbursement corporations use a brand and language similar to HMRC’s, for example, the same blue-green colour and similar fonts and phrases.
The customer advocate argued that this could lead to other people being contacted through the branch itself.
Companies get permission to process their refund by asking consumers to sign legally binding contracts called “deeds of assignment. “
If the claim is successful, HMRC will send a refund cheque to the company. He takes your fees and then will pay you what’s left.
Alarmingly, according to the terms, the “deed of assignment” may remain in position beyond the initial delivery.
These corporations are not regulated and are not subject to the same regulations as claims control corporations (CMCs).
They also do not want to be registered with the Financial Conduct Authority and consumers complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).
Julie told the Mirror that her tax refund was sent to a company called Tax Credits Ltd.
They qualify an effective payment of 48% to process your application; so far, Julie says she hasn’t earned a dime in return.
“Throughout the process and adding the phone call, I believed that the prosecutor accredits the branch that granted the refund of the telework tax,” he said.
“I called HMRC and spoke to a visitor service adviser who was very factual and told me the cheque had been sent.
“I asked several questions even though I believed my cash had been paid to a valid segment of the tax called Tax Credits.
“It wasn’t until I kept asking questions that I understood what had happened. “
An HMRC spokesman told the Mirror it encouraged all consumers to come to HMRC for complaints.
They added: “We do not endorse or use in any way external agents to inform other people about the claims they would possibly make and take action by the company against any agent who does not comply with the law.
“We urge anyone contemplating a tax refund company to actively read the company’s terms and situations on documents and websites, so that they receive in advance the fees they will pay, the service they subscribe to, and any legal contracts they may be. contract. “
HMRC said it intends to hold a consultation this year on tactics to fight higher prices for taxpayers of tax refund claims.
Tax Credits Ltd responded to requests for comment.
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