To send my Ukrainian ex-guest her tax number?

[Mmmkaay]

Bit of a long story but I'll try to keep it as brief as I can - last year we hosted a Ukrainian mother and 18yr old daughter from April to September. They were ok mostly but had a habit of withholding the truth (and major strops if they didn't get their own way but that's another story!) It turned out after 2 months that they weren't in danger in Ukraine but needed to earn money. Eventually they returned - daughter wanted to be back with her boyfriend and mum had made enough to pay for her second year at university so fair enough, we parted on ok terms, not close but no big fall outs.

Fast forward to a couple of weeks ago and mum gets in touch to say she's in the UK again, living in Ramsgate, she came to England to visit her husband (not sure how he got here, he couldn't leave the country last year) discovered he had another woman, was divorcing him and has found a job. Her daughter has moved in with her boyfriend in Ukraine so she's on her own. The reason she got in touch with me was because she had applied for her personal tax code and it was being sent to my address! And could I send it on? I was a bit pissed off, and responded that it seemed that as usual, she had only got in touch when she wanted something. (TBH I doubt she'd have got in touch at all had she not needed something from me.)

This letter has now arrived at my address - she tells me that she has informed HMRC of her new address but still wants me to send the letter to her as she needs the code. I'm not sure whether to do this - I've offered to open it, photograph the contents and send to her but she says she needs the original. I do feel sorry for her as I think she's clearly had a hard time recently (assuming she's telling me the truth) but am I opening myself up for trouble if HMRC think she's still associated with my address? Is there a reason she needs the original copy?

YABU - send the poor woman her letter!
YANBU - you'll have hordes of debt collectors on your doorstep if you don't disassociate yourself now

Thanks

And i think everyone in Ukraine is still in danger. The Russians bombed Lviv not long ago, and it’s as far from the border as you like - everyone claims it’s safe. You never quite know where strikes will be sadly.

Indeed. So why no clamour for a ceasefire after all this time, unlike the immediate calls for one in Gaza?

GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing · Yesterday 17:45
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Can you not send her the number AND tell HMRC the truth?
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You could say “I forwarded it on but in fact she doesn’t live here, she’s at X”?”

This

This.

Wtf why on earth would you not forward on a letter. No you would not be opening yourself up to tax liability by doing so (!!!!).

The previous owners of our house kept using our address for a couple of years after leaving. Even their teenage son kept getting caught on a train without a ticket and giving them our address! So we had a year or so of bailiffs turning up, when I was just returning the letters unopened. It was awful! So I started opening the letters and ringing the companies myself.
I would tell her that you won't forward the letter as you don't want your address being used and you need to ensure it wont be. But you will open it and give her the NI number (do it by text so you have a record of getting her permission to open it) before you return it to HMRC. If you send her the letter, she could use it as proof of address to obtain credit. I've been there, don't mess around.

Return it to HMRC marked ‘Return to sender. Not at this address’. If she truly has informed them, she should get a new code direct to her new address within days. Once she has got something official like a letter from the government with your address on it as proof of identity, it could be used fraudulently. Don’t expose yourself to the risk.

Return to sender and don't have anything more to do with this grifter. Block her.

I'd send it on to her. If it's going to help her get setup and sorted on her own and it's a once-off I'd send it to her. I'd let her know she's not to use your address again and you'll not be forwarding on anything else for her.

Return to sender “not at this address”

It is the reverse.

There is no reason why OPs address should be used by ANYONE. If she had said that an acquaintance on the school run had done same, everyone would be saying CF.

It is odd, and potentially sinister behaviour. Having your address linked with someone else's official paperwork is risky.

Being Ukrainian has nothing whatsoever to do with it. The person is question no longer lives with OP. OP did a good thing by providing refuge when the person most needed it. That person can now sort her own affairs out without involving OP. OP has done enough.

All the snarky comments on here saying it's only a letter and basically accusing anyone who disagrees of being racist. I honestly hope none of you find yourself in the particularly nasty and protracted situation that I did under similar circumstances. a) She has no reason to use the OP's address. b) She didn't inform/explain to the OP why she might do so. c) This isn't a personal letter from her aunty, it is highly sensitive official information from a Government body. d) she is not the OP's responsibility. e) Better safe than sorry.

Send it back to HMRC and confirm she is no longer at your address. Why take the risk when you have ascertained that she is not always truthful? Protect yourself first and foremost. I’m sure she can iron it with HMRC

70pcnt of Ukraine has lived most of the “war” as normal, go on google maps all businesses open as usual,you can book a table in any restaurant Etc, If it was war, not a military operation in specific areas of the country,kiev would be flattened 2 years ago, if anything more us and eu contractors working in ukraine,thats where the american and europeqn taxpayers money is going Blackrock, Vanguard etc.

Most refugees are form western ukraine-lviv,kiev etc who are using the open borders to emigrate, cant blame them, average salary iper month is 180 USD, eu benefits for single person are 2500eur a month, who would not seek a better life elsewhere.

If you want to send it on but are worried about the address being used as id then just strike through the address and annotate it with 'left this address xxth mmmm 2023' or something like that - with permanent ink pen of course.

You have no idea whether she is in the UK or whether she is allowing someone else to use her UTR. I would return it to HMRC if she was self employed she will have a gateway account. It is a document which allows someone to work and claim benefits and housing in the UK. It could be identity fraud. It could be modern slavery. People would have to be pretty naïve to think this is not a real possibility.

I don’t think HMRC & DWP letters are allowed to be redirected even with a Royal Mail forwarding arrangements primarily because the letters can be used as proof of address & identity. The fact that she is adamant that she needs the original would make me a bit concerned & HMRC need to send information to the actual address she is living at.

@Mmmkaay

Anyway, to update I have messaged her to say I can't send the original but that she will be able to get a copy if she lets HMRC know her new address, she's asked for a photo of the letter content which I've provided, it's not her NI number, it's a number to allow her to submit a tax self assessment as apparently she is self employed, I've asked what work she is doing and she has refused to tell me as 'its not important.' Hey ho.

I would also have erred on the side of caution and returned it saying no longer at this address and/or also called the HMRC if I had the new address, so delay in your ex-guest getting her tax code would be reduced. You need to ensure that doing someone a good turn doesn't come back to bite you. 🌹

Id be careful her registering a business at your address! Send it back with a note saying not at this address and maybe even call hmrc just to make it clear!!!!