How Long Does It Take to Get a Tax Refund from HMRC?

You may owe a lot of tax rebates or tax refunds to HMRC because of a number of reasons.

Maybe you are currently employed and paying your taxes through PAYE, but your taxes have been calculated incorrectly. Or maybe there were a lot of errors when you did a self-assessment tax return, so instead of paying the correct amount, you just overpaid your tax.

If you encountered one or two of these kinds of situations, then you might owe HMRC a repayment. But how long will it take to get your tax rebate?

To help you understand this, here is some of the most important information you need about the tax refund processing times and for your tax rebate to be paid.

Processing Times of Tax Refund

There is really no specific timeframe of how long your tax refund will take in the UK because everything, from applying your tax refund to receiving your money, everything depends on HMRC’s processing times. Generally, your tax rebate will take about 8 to 12 weeks to process after receiving your application and can take shorter or longer depending on HMRC.

Average Timescales for Tax Rebate Claims

The average timescales for claiming your tax rebate may vary depending on the following:

• Flat rate expenses tax rebate – 6 to 12 weeks
• Uniform tax refund – 6 to 12 weeks
• Professional fees tax refund – 6 to 12 weeks
• Left/Leaving the UK tax back – 6 to 12 weeks
• Business mileage tax refund – Up to 12 weeks
• Tool tax back – 12 to 24 weeks

You can get your tax rebate sooner than the estimated timescales above but can also take longer depending on various uncontrollable circumstances.

Delays in HMRC

There are many reasons why HMRC may be delayed in releasing your tax rebate. Here are some of the reasons:

• Your claim needs to be assessed by the inspector of taxes.
• There is a certain time of the year, especially during the Self-Assessment deadline 31st of January and on 5th April during the end of the tax year.
• The records are missing, such as the P60 and the P45. They will be needing to provide the missing information and then send it to the HMRC to update their records before they repay any of the tax rebates.

Track Tax Refund

If you want to learn more about how long it will take to get your tax refund, you can contact HMRC to find out when you can get your tax rebate. It is best to contact HMRC five weeks after you’ve submitted your application online or six weeks after you gave a paper rebate request.

Can You Speed Up Tax Rebate

Yes, you can if you do the following things to get the HMRC repayment faster:

• Avoid submitting tax rebate applications during the busiest times of HMRC (for instance, 31st January and 5th April)
• Make sure to put all the relevant information and paperwork so HMRC won’t have to contact you again just to get the details.
• If you’re expecting a smaller amount, such as £1,000, then it will be easier and faster to process. If larger amounts, then it may take a longer period of time to process.

How Long Will Tax Rebate Be Paid

How long for your tax rebate to be paid after your tax refund has been authorized depends on the following things:

• If you expect a payable order or a cheque, you can receive your tax rebate within five weeks.
• If directly into your bank account, a debit, or a credit card, it will take about five working days.
• If you got a P800 notice saying that you are due a tax refund and you’re allowed to claim online, then you will receive your tax rebate within five working days directly into your bank account.
• If you got a P800 notice saying that you will receive a cheque, then you’ll get your tax rebate within 14 days of the date of the notice.
• If your claim is a bit complex, then you might need to hire a tax advisor or a professional accountant to help you find out how long your tax rebate will take to be paid.

Conclusion

When getting your tax rebate from HMRC, several factors can affect the processing time of your tax refund and the time that you’ll be able to get your tax rebate claim. In case you still have questions about this, it’s best to get a professional tax advisor or accountant to help clear things up.

Tax Refund Calculator can help you calculate your overpaid tax easily, including your HMRC tax refund. Let us walk you through the process to check if you are eligible for a tax refund. Contact us today to learn more.