Tax Refunds How Long

So, once you have completed your self-assessment tax return or rebate request, just how long does it take to receive a tax refund from HMRC?

The simple answer is between 1-3 months normally before you receive your tax refund. We know that some rebate companies promise a turn around within a couple of weeks, but you need to look deep into the terms and conditions because no one company has HMRC’s priority attention for their clients!

What is holding your tax refund up? There are many reasons your rebate / tax refund might get delayed, here are some of the most common reasons:

• You submitted your return at a very busy time of year. Generally January/February and April/May are very busy times for self-assessment returns, things can take a little longer to work their way through the system.
• You forgot to tell HMRC about that extra job you had at the start of the year! HMRC are getting much better at finding missing declarations on tax returns recently. Presuming you did not try to mislead them, HMRC are generally quite understanding, and a quick phone conversation can sort things out.
• You didn’t give HMRC your bank account detail when submitting your return/rebate. HMRC prefer to make bank transfers direct into your account, but if bank details are missing they will send a cheque through the post. Printing and posting a cheque is considerably slower, so this can add to your delay receiving your tax refund.
• There is some irregularity with your self-assessment return, HMRC are looking into it before issuing a recalculation of your tax return. Did you remember to declare your sideline business on Ebay / Etsy income?
• You have existing penalties which need to be settled from any rebate before payment can be made to your bank.

To find out more information, you need to speak with HMRC directly, only they have all the information regarding delays top processing your rebate. You can call them directly on 0300 200 3310, however be prepared for a long wait on hold, its not uncommon to be hanging on the line for the best part of an hour before speaking with someone. HMRC have made an online checker available, this is now their preferred way for you to check when your rebate is due for payment, you can try this here https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-expect-a-reply-from-hmrc

You can find more information on any of these topics by visiting the HMRC website https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs

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