Reply to: tax avoidance letter from HMRC Early intervention team

[jonnieboy]

Honestly, it's nice to see HMRC proactively engaging in situations like this - many people who have faced massive bills after HMRC inactivity for 20+ years can only dream of early intervention like this. Contact HMRC, be honest, you made a mistake and they told you early enough that you aren't facing life-changing demands

[sency999]

Hi,
I received the letter and it was genuine letter from HMRC, the best way to validate is to call HMRC rather than trying to assume the validity of the letter. Ask for the team name on the letter and they will request for the case number to confirm. It is the way HMRC is cracking down on the DA payments made by the Umbrella companies under the blanket.
I prepared the detailed and honest response back to HMRC, If I get a response back to pay any unpaid taxes and as long as it is valid I am prepared to pay, if not use one of the tax advisors to challenge.
Hope you find it helpful.
Regards.

[Fred Bloggs]

First, thank you for all for you advice. I have decided to send my reply to the email id provided in the letter. I will not disclose any extra information in my first reply and see if the source sounds genuine. Ultimately, it will come down to mode of payment they want to use to repay my dues if any.

My doubt is that when I check the link I provided on my previous post, some emails are listed with hmrc.gov.uk domain which the scammers used to send phishing email. So obviously they look genuine but are scammers id.
When I searched the email id provided in the letter on google, I did not get even 1 hit. Thats is very unusual which raised my suspicions.
Neither did "C and P Early Intervention Team" return any results.

Refer my previous comment. It's very easy to validate this.

[hitchhikar]

HMRC letters usually contain your UTR and/or NI number. Also, there should be an address and phone number, which you could check to see if they're genuine.

First, thank you for all for you advice. I have decided to send my reply to the email id provided in the letter. I will not disclose any extra information in my first reply and see if the source sounds genuine. Ultimately, it will come down to mode of payment they want to use to repay my dues if any.

My doubt is that when I check the link I provided on my previous post, some emails are listed with hmrc.gov.uk domain which the scammers used to send phishing email. So obviously they look genuine but are scammers id.
When I searched the email id provided in the letter on google, I did not get even 1 hit. Thats is very unusual which raised my suspicions.
Neither did "C and P Early Intervention Team" return any results.

[Fred Bloggs]

Ok makes sense.

Actually, I have one more worry. After I left UmbrellaWorx, I received 2 calls from HMRC scammsters threatening to issue a warrant and guaranteed arrest if I do not pay up some amount. The first call got me panicked. But after I caught my breath, I knew that that was a scam call.

Now, my doubt is about the authenticity of this letter. I am around 10% sure this is a phishing letter. I could not find any example of such letter on google.

The letter is sent by (nothing in google search)


I could not even find/validate the email id which the letter suggested me to reply to.


Phishing emails have been sent from "hmrc.gov.uk" domain as confirmed via following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...oc_sept_15.pdf


Could anyone take few minutes out and confirm/negate my doubts please?

Given the information you have it is simple to call HMRC and ask if this particular named person exists. And if he/she does exist, is this what he/she does for HMRC. I could be wrong, but I suspect this has come from the Manchester/Salford offices. You will know for certain then if that is a scam of some kind.

[DealorNoDeal]

Could anyone take few minutes out and confirm/negate my doubts please?

I'm not saying it couldn't happen but I've never heard of scammers sending fake HMRC letters in the post.

HMRC letters usually contain your UTR and/or NI number. Also, there should be an address and phone number, which you could check to see if they're genuine.

[hitchhikar]

Do the payslips include the "second component"? If not, you should include the amounts in your covering letter.

Yes. the payslips lists:

1. gross pay - this is calc with basic min wage and is taxed/NI
2. business income - no information on this. This is what got me suspicious when I tried to work out my payslips initially.

[eek]

Ok makes sense.

Actually, I have one more worry. After I left UmbrellaWorx, I received 2 calls from HMRC scammsters threatening to issue a warrant and guaranteed arrest if I do not pay up some amount. The first call got me panicked. But after I caught my breath, I knew that that was a scam call.

Now, my doubt is about the authenticity of this letter. I am around 10% sure this is a phishing letter. I could not find any example of such letter on google.

The letter is sent by (nothing in google search)


I could not even find/validate the email id which the letter suggested me to reply to.


Phishing emails have been sent from "hmrc.gov.uk" domain as confirmed via following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...oc_sept_15.pdf


Could anyone take few minutes out and confirm/negate my doubts please?

That document is from September 2015 - so it's over 5 years out of date.

HMRC have got in progress a set of early (well 6-12 months too late but immediate when you consider HMRCs default time frames of years) warnings for people who have used dodgy umbrella firms so I think it's all above board.

But as I've already stated - it is your responsibility to pay the tax owed and I've provided the means above to allow you to double check what is owing.

[hitchhikar]

Ok makes sense.

Actually, I have one more worry. After I left UmbrellaWorx, I received 2 calls from HMRC scammsters threatening to issue a warrant and guaranteed arrest if I do not pay up some amount. The first call got me panicked. But after I caught my breath, I knew that that was a scam call.

Now, my doubt is about the authenticity of this letter. I am around 10% sure this is a phishing letter. I could not find any example of such letter on google.

The letter is sent by (nothing in google search)

C and P Early Intervention Team
on behalf of XXX YYY, HM Inspector of Taxes

I could not even find/validate the email id which the letter suggested me to reply to.

cakeepingcustomersinformed@hmrc.gov.uk

Phishing emails have been sent from "hmrc.gov.uk" domain as confirmed via following link:
https://assets.publishing.service.go...oc_sept_15.pdf


Could anyone take few minutes out and confirm/negate my doubts please?

[eek]

Do the payslips include the "second component"? If not, you should include the amounts in your covering letter.

HMRC will have:-

The agency payments from agency reporting regulations
What umbrellaworx reported to them via RTI

The latter will be accessible from your HRMC Personal tax account.

The difference that you need to report and pay will be the NI (sadly including employers NI) and income tax on the amount that wasn't reported to HMRC which you can work out as:-

The assignment fee the agency paid UmbrellaWorx - £100 (umbrella fee) less the amount HMRC have been told about.

[DealorNoDeal]

I am going to reply to HMRC and will send them my 4 payslips and P45 from Umbrellaworx and ask for further guidance from HMRC.

Do the payslips include the "second component"? If not, you should include the amounts in your covering letter.

[eek]

Thank you all for your kind words and advice. I am really shaken up. I tried to find further information regarding such early intervention team letter from HMRC but could not get any examples.
I am going to reply to HMRC and will send them my 4 payslips and P45 from Umbrellaworx and ask for further guidance from HMRC.

Is there any good in contacting Umbrellaworx before I reply to HMRC? If yes, what should I ask them?

Why talk to a bunch of scam artists that got you into this mess

Just ask HMRC to confirm what you owe and sort it out.

There is little to be gained (sadly from doing much more).

[hitchhikar]

Thank you all for your kind words and advice. I am really shaken up. I tried to find further information regarding such early intervention team letter from HMRC but could not get any examples.
I am going to reply to HMRC and will send them my 4 payslips and P45 from Umbrellaworx and ask for further guidance from HMRC.

Is there any good in contacting Umbrellaworx before I reply to HMRC? If yes, what should I ask them?

[eek]

As I've not posted here before I also better answer the question.

DealOrNoDeal is right - given the fact the OP picked up the issue immediately they have nothing to worry about

They can just ask HMRC to calculator the amount owed and pay it with their self assessment tax return - to double check it Clarity's calculator is probably more than accurate enough (I like it as it works on a weekly / monthly total rather than stupid assumptions).

[eek]

If the recruitment agency really did recommend this so-called "umbrella", then they want slapping down. Even if they weren't aware it was a tax scam, they shouldn't be recommending anything that they aren't 100% certain is a fully compliant PAYE brolly.

Good luck identifying those at the moment - I would struggle and I know what I'm looking for,

I can name 2, one of which is helping me test the solution I'm working on to do just that and one that uses a monthly audit from the people chased off this scheme enquiry forum.