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Original poster

The Tax Advisory Group - Scam or?

41 replies

Silveryfox · 18/05/2023 14:07

Has anyone else had any experience of The Tax Advisory Group? I claimed back nearly £2k from HMRC through TAG for overpaid tax and the money has been sent to them but I cannot get hold of the company. There's only one telephone number and that's not being answered. I'm panicking now! I've done a Google search for them and there's not much online....😭

OP posts:
Justhereforthechristmasthreads · 18/05/2023 14:13

Sorry but you should have just claimed yourself via hmrc and you would have got full amount whatever you were due. These companies take massive cuts.

What were the t&c when you signed up ablut how you would get your money from them?

KateyCuckoo · 18/05/2023 14:15

Also wondering why you didn't just contact hmrc directly? It's so easy!

Original poster
Silveryfox · 18/05/2023 14:22

I didn't know I'd paid too much tax! This company contacted me to tell me. I didn't know I could contact HMRC to do this myself, but like I said I had no idea I was due this rebate. But on looking into it today, it turns out I've paid too much tax for the last 4 years, yet HMRC didn't notify me, they just let it roll over into yhe following years.

OP posts:
Original poster
Silveryfox · 18/05/2023 14:25

I'm not asking to be berated, I'm asking if anyone has had any experiences with TAG. I had no idea I should have had a tax rebate, HMRC didn't tell me, and on looking intlnit today, it turns out I've been paying too much tax for the last 4 years! Yet HMRC didn't tell me or issue a rebate, they just let it roll into the following years.

OP posts:
ToWonderWhyIBother · 18/05/2023 14:25

You need to contact HMRC and ask them to remove the details of the company from being able to claim any further tax refunds on your behalf, otherwise you will be paying them a huge percentage of your money every time they put in a claim.

Have you been employed with the same company for the times that you paid too much tax. Is your tax code the right one now ?

HMRC usually send out tax refunds in June/July after all the P60's have been applied to the tax records.

buckingmad · 18/05/2023 14:29

Get hold of HMRC and remove agent authorisation for this company. They'll currently have access to all your details HMRC hold, address, NI number, UTR, employments etc.

MrsJackRackham · 18/05/2023 14:32

How did the company know you'd paid too much tax?? Everyone's tax records are confidential. I can't even view my own.

KateyCuckoo · 18/05/2023 14:33

MrsJackRackham · 18/05/2023 14:32

How did the company know you'd paid too much tax?? Everyone's tax records are confidential. I can't even view my own.

Likeky they didn't know and it was a chance scam.

Banjaxx · 18/05/2023 14:38

You could try getting in touch with the financial ombudsman if you can’t get hold of the company? Do you have any documents from them? They must’ve sent you forms to complete to give them your details and authorisation to act on your behalf, there should be terms in the documents telling you what percentage or charge they take from the rebate for their services?

Kazzyhoward · 18/05/2023 16:08

KateyCuckoo · 18/05/2023 14:33

Likeky they didn't know and it was a chance scam.

Show quote history

Even worse with the scam companies is that the taxpayers often isn't due a refund at all, and they just put in a fraudulent claim, HMRC pays them, and then HMRC audit it a year or two later and want the tax (and penalties/interest etc) back from the taxpayer (who didn't get the full refund in the first place).

As a previously poster has said, there's no way a random company would know that anyone was due a tax refund as they're not privvy to the information which is confidential between employer and employee.

messybutfun · 18/05/2023 16:19

If you are employed, it is unlikely that you have overpaid tax by thousands over 4 years. HMRC will usually correct any overpayments at the end of the tax year at the latest. Unless there are some allowances that you haven‘t claimed but they don‘t usually add up to thousands either. Have the company shown you their claim details? Or can you at least see on the portal what was claimed for?

Original poster
Silveryfox · 18/05/2023 20:05

I was employed part time, for the same company from 2017 to 2022. And they do owe me that amount because I've checked on my Gov Gateway account.

OP posts:
user1497207191 · 18/05/2023 23:24

Silveryfox · 18/05/2023 20:05

I was employed part time, for the same company from 2017 to 2022. And they do owe me that amount because I've checked on my Gov Gateway account.

But are those figures from the tax returns that TAG have submitted? HMRC process returns and figures then appear on gov gateway, but they have 1-2 years to audit/check the returns after submission.

Christmascracker0 · 18/05/2023 23:57

When did they contact you? Companies House says the company was dissolved in June 2022.

Agree it’s probably a scam firm that submits inaccurate tax returns to HMRC in order to generate a repayment (that they keep..). Sorry OP.

Christmascracker0 · 19/05/2023 00:01

Omg just googled the company director and it looks like he has been in jail at least twice! So I don’t you will be seeing the money, sorry.

Talia99 · 19/05/2023 07:31

Silveryfox · 18/05/2023 20:05

I was employed part time, for the same company from 2017 to 2022. And they do owe me that amount because I've checked on my Gov Gateway account.

Unfortunately, you also need to check the figures that were sent in. If the service lied to get a higher rebate (or any rebate), your online account will show that figure as being owed to you but if/when the figures are checked, you will have to pay it all back.

The company has no way of knowing if you are owed money by HMRC as tax records are confidential. Only a tiny percentage of employed people will actually be owed money - not enough for a legitimate business to make a profit. I strongly suspect their entire business model is doing something to persuade HMRC you are owed money so they can at best cream off a huge percentage and at worst, keep the lot. If that’s the case, when HMRC find out, you will have to repay the lot, including any kept by the tax company.

DistantConstellation · 19/05/2023 07:39

This isn't a dig or brag, just my experience. I've been checking my own tax paid every year since I started work at 17 - it really is a good habit to understand what you're paying and why. I kept getting put on emergency codes in my first jobs and ended up getting hundreds back when I contacted them. I don't think HMRC would have ever let me know any over payment (there have been several over the years) so it's best to contact them yourself.

Sorry this happened OP - it does sound dodgy particularly anyone else claiming to know what you have paid in tax?!

Original poster
Silveryfox · 19/05/2023 13:45

Hi I just checked Companies House and The Tax Advisory Group is still active and operating, and the Director is John Richard Briggs, who I can't find in Google as having been jailed. I just hope this isn't a scam! I'll just have to keep my fingers crossed.... I definitely could do with the money....

OP posts:
ToWonderWhyIBother · 19/05/2023 15:31

Hi Have you check their terms and conditions as to how much % they take from you for putting in the claim, my sister used a company and they took 60% from the amount they claimed.

Best check now so you are not shocked when you get the amount in bank or by cheque.

Talia99 · 19/05/2023 15:50

Hopefully they are legit, then. What did they say about why they knew you were owed money? If there’s a good explanation for that, it makes it more likely they are OK.

virginpinkmartini · 19/05/2023 16:44

If you were due money back, chances are the reconciliation done automatically at the end of each year would have brought it to light. Double check they haven't done a PPI tax repayment claim on your behalf with random figures because if its wrongly been processed, YOU will be liable to pay it back and not the company.

HappyHolidai · 19/05/2023 16:58

How did you manage to pay too much tax? What figures have been put in on your behalf and what is the basis for their calculation?

Any legitimate adviser will have told you this and asked you to confirm details and take responsibility for the figures.

If this company didn't do that they are likely to have put in fake figures. If they have also stolen the fake refund you are in a mess because you now owe HMRC £2k which you don't have. At some point they will probably come after you for it.

You need to cancel any authorisation that the company should have your refunds. Ring HMRC and explain. There are a lot of these dodgy outfits out there so you won't be the first person asking about this. They will probably have a script to work through next steps.

tailinthejam · 19/05/2023 17:01

"The company contacted me to tell me"

How did they get your details, and how did they know you were due a rebate?

blacksax · 19/05/2023 17:07

How did the company contact you in the first place - email, letter, phone?