HMRC has announced that it has resolved a problem with its website that was making it impossible for people to claim a refund online for overpaid 2019/20 tax.

Individuals or businesses that have either over or underpaid tax for the financial year are sent a calculation known as a Simple Assessment – or P800 – that details how to top up underpayments or apply for a refund of overpayments. Those in the latter situation have the choice of receiving a cheque that takes two weeks to arrive or applying for their refund online and getting it within five days.

It is this online tax refund service that has been unavailable due to problems with the website. HMRC went as far as to use its official Twitter page to clarify that PAYE individuals and businesses were temporarily unable to claim online rebates and that it was working to get the problem resolved as quickly as possible.

The tax body then returned to Twitter the following day to confirm that the website problem had been fixed and that people wishing to apply for a tax refund using the online service could once again do so.

These rebates can be for overpaid tax on anything from a self-assessment return to business costs such as work clothes or fuel. For this reason it can be sensible for people to get advice from an accountant who handles tax refund services in South Yorkshire or any other area of the country to find out if they are among those who qualify for one.