HMRC sending £473 payment letters to UK households from June 1 | Personal Finance | Finance

HMRC is sending out letters with payments to households worth an average of £473 each starting from June 1. Every year, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs sends a flurry of letters to households across the UK as it readjusts for people’s tax situations following the end of the previous tax year.

It invites some people to submit a self-assessment tax return, it tells others that they underpaid tax and will have their tax code adjusted, while for others, there’s actually some good news in the form of a tax rebate.

This happens when a taxpayer accidentally overpays tax, perhaps because they were put on an emergency tax code when changing jobs, or made an overpayment due to being eligible for a tax reduction due to circumstances changing. HMRC has previously issued a statement urging households to take action to get their money back if they find such a letter landing on their doorstep.

It sounds a bit like a scam, but it is in fact genuine. HMRC tweeted in 2025: “Received a letter saying you have a tax refund to claim? There could be an average of £473 waiting for you.

“Download the HMRC app to find out how you can claim it.”

The figure refers to the average tax overpayment value, which would be then paid back to those who are given the money back either as a direct payment or a cheque.

If you received a tax refund letter, there should be a link in the letter which will allow you to nominate a dedicated bank acount to have your refund paid into.

You can also download the HMRC app to complete the process, and you can also track your tax in the app to make sure you’re on the right tax code this year.

If you think you’re owed a rebate and are yet to receive one, you can call 0300 200 3300.

HMRC said in an X post about its P800 forms on Saturday: “We’ll be automatically reviewing records for the last tax year shortly and we’ll let you know if you’ve overpaid or underpaid tax from June onwards. Search P800 on our GOV.UK website for more details.

“We’ll begin issuing tax calculations from June onwards, so if you owe tax or are due a refund, you can expect to receive one between then and March next year.”

HMRC says about its tax calculation letters (P800s) and how they determine refunds: “If you’ve paid too much or too little tax by the end of the tax year (April 5), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will send you a tax calculation letter (also known as a P800); a simple assessment letter.

“This will tell you how to get a refund or pay tax you owe. The letters are sent out between June and March of the following tax year.

“If your tax calculation letter (P800) says you’re due a refund it will tell you how you can get your refund.

“If your tax calculation letter says you can claim online, you can claim using the online bank transfer service or request a cheque online. You’ll need the reference number from your P800 letter [and] your National Insurance number. If you want your refund through a bank transfer, you’ll need to have a UK bank account.”

But if you did not receive a tax refund letter yet, you may still be due one, and you can contact HMRC to initiate a claim.