New service speeding up tax refunds

TAXPAYERS in Halton can now receive money back directly from HM Revenue And Customs (HMRC) without the need for a cheque or trip to the bank.

An online tax refund service is available to customers who use their HMRC Personal Tax Account.

A HMRC spokeswoman said that tax which people have overpaid will be returned directly to their bank account within three to five days.

HMRC’s director general of customer service Ruth Owen said: “This new service puts customers in control of their tax affairs allowing them to claim any money owing to them immediately.

“They can claim at a time that suits them, from a device of their choice, securely, and without needing to wait for a cheque in the post.

“Now customers will have access to funds cleared in their account within three to five days rather than the two weeks it would typically take for a cheque to be issued, banked and cleared.”

The online refund is one of many services HMRC customers can access through their Personal Tax Account.

Residents can view and update personal details, see how their tax is calculated, see the progress of forms which have been sent to HMRC, check the expected level of their state pension, find out about Marriage Allowance entitlement and make a claim online, andsee tax credits payments and report changes in circumstances.