Self-assessment scams are on the rise

Reports of tax-related scams have surged as the self-assessment deadline approaches, prompting a fresh warning from HMRC. Since February 2025, over 4,800 scam attempts linked to self-assessment have been reported. In total, HMRC has received around 135,500 reports of suspected scams in the past ten months, including almost 29,000 cases involving fake tax refund offers.

How scammers operate

Fraudsters often strike when taxpayers are expecting contact from HMRC, sending highly convincing emails, texts or phone calls that demand payment or request personal data. These scams may threaten legal action or even arrest to pressure victims into sharing information or transferring money. HMRC has responded by taking down nearly 25,000 fraudulent websites and phone numbers.

Government guidance

HMRC urges taxpayers to stay alert and verify any communications that claim to be from them by checking official guidance at gov.uk. HMRC will never ask for personal or bank details via email or text, nor will they use them to notify customers about tax rebates.

Professional protection

Using an accountancy firm is one way to protect yourself from scammers. If you put your self-assessment submission into the hands of a firm such as //chippendaleandclark.com/accountants-near-me/bath/, you can forward any approaches for them to verify without risking exposure yourself. This particular example is a firm of accountants Bath, but since there are thousands of practices handling self-assessment across the UK, you won’t be short of local options.

If you suspect a scam, report it by forwarding suspicious emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk, and text messages to 60599, while phone calls can be reported on the HMRC website.