HMRC continues to issue warnings to businesses about the receipt of scam emails from online crooks posing as the taxman. Numerous businesses are duped every year by these bogus emails, stating that tax refunds are available to recipients. Some are poorly written and immediately recognisable as scams. Yet others are presented more professionally and are therefore more convincing. Savvy business people who cannot be described as naïve have been taken in by such emails. Yet the potential of falling prey to these scams is significantly reduced for businesses that utilise professional payroll services.
This is the case because expert payroll companies that handle the annual tax returns of their clients actually carry out the calculations, thus having a comprehensive overview of the tax liabilities of businesses. It can be only too tempting for business owners and their HR payroll representatives to respond to these emails. They promise money back in to the coffers when recipients follow a website link and enter the account details to which the refund should be paid. It is a costly mistake to those who do, and consequently have their accounts looted. Expert providers of payroll solutions are wise to such scams and know that HMRC only ever contact businesses about refunds in written postal correspondence.
Furthermore, businesses whose annual tax returns are submitted by their payroll company can contact them immediately about notifications of potential tax refunds, whether they are genuine or fake. Their payroll company can then decide what is necessary, by following up on genuine HMRC correspondence accordingly, or reporting scam emails to HMRC, which has closed down approximately 185 bogus sites.
At Moorepay, the broad spectrum of payroll solutions we offer to businesses includes the correct and timely handling of year end tax returns. Should our clients receive correspondence from HMRC or from scamsters posing as HMRC, we can pursue the best course of action in either case on their behalves.