HMRC has taken the step of contacting major UK charities by letter asking them to use their communications platforms to warn the public about tax scams, as the numbers of these continue to rise.

The tax authority has written to the likes of Gingerbread, the National Trust, Citizens Advice and Cancer Research UK about this, in a move that is without precedent. It is urging them to use the platforms they have to get the message across to small business owners and other members of the public about scam emails and phone calls related to tax.

HMRC is pointing out that people who have busy lifestyles – such as those trying to run their own business – are at particular risk of falling for them. That is one reason why hiring an accountant offering tax return services in Goole, or wherever you live, can be a smart move for people in that situation.

There has been a real surge in the number of these scams being reported during the past 12 months. Over 460,000 of the 1,048,396 reports made by the public to HMRC over that period have been about emails or calls claiming to offer rebates on tax.

A spokesperson for HMRC told the Daily Express:

“If in doubt, we advise customers not to reply directly to anything suspicious, but to contact HMRC straight away.”

The authority has indicated that phone calls genuinely coming from HMRC will only ever concern tax payments or debts of which the individual is already aware.