Hi,
I wrote a letter to HMRC on the 20th April regarding several clients who are owed PAYE refunds for the 2014-15 tax year and requesting a refund.
I rang them up in July (from memory), and they said that the processing date for letters of 20th April for PAYE refunds was in October.
One of my clients has chased me for the refund, so I have just had the joy of being on the phone for 45 minutes with HMRC. Only to be told there was no note on the file, and that the processing date would now be 22nd February 2016.
I explained the previous advised date and they have said that as there is no note on the file there is nothing they can do.
I have now had to spend a further 45 minutes making sure they have put a note on each one of my clients accounts to make sure that the 22nd Feb is listed on their individual account in order to process a refund.
Has anyone else had this problem? Is there anything that can be done to escalate this at all? Is there an alternative processing method to get a refund for future year? It seems outrageous that they can hold onto a refund for nearly a year - how am I going to explain this to my client?
Thanks for your comments.
Replies (6)
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Getting PAYE refunds for employers most certainly is becoming a joke.
Hoping a client somewhere soon will take it to the small claims court/similar, as HMRC saying "yeah we owe you that, we'll process it in 6-9 months time" shouldn't be acceptable.
A delay of 9 months
Two weeks ago I was told that a client's refund wouldn't take place before June 2016.
I was advised that HMRC has diverted resources to making CIS repayments so PAYE refunds would be delayed.
Interest?
I understand that, under certain circumstances, HMRC must pay imterest on delayed VAT refunds.
It seems entirely reasonable that a similar system be put in place for overpaid PAYE.
After all, shouldn't the employers who have bourne most of the burdens of introducing RTI get some benefits alongside their employees and the goverment?
I am now going to go away and lie down in a darkened room until the delusions go away.
Is it more than £750?
Perhaps you could petition the court to have HMRC wound up as insolvent.