Check if an email you've received from HMRC is genuine

Annual tax summary

The HMRC Self Assessment team are sending email alerts to some customers to say that their annual tax summary is available to view. The emails have the title ‘Your Annual Tax Summary is ready’.

The emails also explain what is in the annual summary. These emails will never ask you to give your personal or financial information.

Businesses selling goods through online marketplaces in the UK

HMRC is contacting businesses who sell goods to customers in the UK through online marketplaces. The emails refer to VAT obligations in the UK. The first email will explain why HMRC is contacting them and ask them to get in touch.

Economic Crime Supervision survey

From 22 September 2022 up to and including 31 October 2022, HMRC will email you if you’re registered with HMRC’s Economic Crime Supervision (ECS).

This email will invite you to take part in a survey to help ECS understand:

• the awareness of our current range of penalties
• how effective they are at deterring non-compliance with the UK money laundering regulations

The email will include a:

• link to take part in an online survey
• reference to this page so that you can check the email is genuine

The survey will:

• be voluntary
• be anonymous
• not ask for any personal or financial information

Employer bulletins

HMRC sends informational bulletins several times a year to employers who have registered to receive them. These emails never ask you to provide personal or financial information.

Emails issued by HMRC may have the title ‘Important information for employers’.

The emails include links to HMRC pages on the GOV.UK website, including advice about online security.

Help and support

HMRC sends emails to customers to offer help and support. The emails will sometimes include links to online digital products such as webinars, HMRC’s YouTube videos or online guides.

These emails will never ask you to provide personal or financial information.

Helping to improve the GOV.UK website

Customers who sign up to help improve GOV.UK to make government services better will receive emails from HMRC.

The first email will include a link which you should follow to complete the signing up process.

Once you have signed up, a second email will be sent that includes a link to a research blog. You may then receive other emails that include links to short surveys about research.

The emails will not ask for any personal or financial information. They will also contain a link to unsubscribe from future emails.

Import and export customs declaration research with businesses

From 6 June 2022 to 8 August 2023, HMRC will be working with People for Research, an independent research agency, to carry out research to:

• find out the views of businesses who import and export goods to and from the UK
• understand businesses arrangements for making customs declarations now and in the future

You may receive an email from People for Research inviting you to either take part in:

• a research focus group
• an interview with researchers from HMRC

We encourage you to take part and help improve how HMRC supports and engages with businesses.

If you do, your personal details will be held securely at all times in line with data protection law. They will not be shared outside of the research team without your explicit consent.

Import and export data trade statistics

HMRC’s Trade Statistics Unit regularly sends emails to business customers about import and export statistical data, and the related services accessed from HMRC’s trade statistics website.

These include:

• business alerts
• service updates
• deadline reminders
• data quality reviews
• survey requests

These messages may include links to further information, educational or survey content.

They will not ask for any personal, payment or tax related information.

Intermediaries newsletter

From September 2021, HMRC will send a newsletter every 6 weeks by email to the intermediary sector (for example, freight forwarders, customs brokers, and fast parcel operators). The emails will provide the latest news affecting the intermediary sector.

These emails will never ask you for any personal or financial information and are sent with the subject title ‘Customs intermediaries’ newsletter’.

Invitation to take part in research

If you have signed up to help make government services better, HMRC will email you to invite you to take part in research studies.

The email will be headed ‘Invitation to take part in research’. You’ll only receive it if you if meet the criteria for the research study.

The email may include:

• a link to take part in an online study
• details about a face to face event

The email will contain a:

• reference to this page so you can check that the email is genuine
• phone number to contact the HMRC Research Team if you have any concerns

Making Tax Digital for VAT

HMRC will send an email to customers who have signed up for Making Tax Digital for VAT using the sign up for Making Tax Digital page.

HMRC will confirm you can submit VAT Returns within 72 hours using the email address you gave. The email will not ask you for any financial information.

National Minimum Wage

From 1 October 2022 HMRC will be sending emails to offer help and support with the National Minimum Wage.

The email may include links to:

• online guidance
• digital forms
• webinars

The email may also ask about your views on the National Minimum Wage. If it does, it will include a:

• link to take part in an online survey
• reference to this page so you can check that the email is genuine

These emails will never ask you to provide any personal or financial information without writing to you first.

Online sales tax research

From April 2022 up to and including 31 March 2023, HMRC is contacting online businesses to take part in research on a new potential online sales tax.

This research will:

• explore what a potential online sales tax might mean for businesses selling online
• help to inform HMRC’s understanding of the online retail industry

We will send you an email inviting you to take part in a research session. This session will be an online call, lasting approximately 1 hour.

Taking part is voluntary but we encourage you to do so. Any information you give will be:

• anonymous
• confidential
• used for research purposes only

Notices issued by email will contain a link to this webpage, so you can see that HMRC is using email for this purpose. We will not ask you for any financial information.

For more information, contact details for the HMRC research team will be included in the email.

Paying into your Help to Save account

HMRC may contact some customers by email who have opened Help to Save accounts. The emails will remind customers who have not paid any money into their account about the benefits of using this service.

These emails will not ask for any personal or financial information.

Personal Tax Account promotion

Customers who contact HMRC helplines will be asked if they wish to sign up to a Personal Tax Account. Customers who do not wish to sign up by telephone will be offered more information by email.

If you agree to provide an email address, you’ll be sent some information by email while you’re on the telephone. The email gives background information about the benefits of signing up to a Personal Tax Account, and how to sign up.

The email will not ask for any personal or financial information.

Register of customs agents and fast parcel operators on GOV.UK

From September 2021, HMRC will send a monthly email about a register of customs agents and fast parcel operators on GOV.UK.

The register is a useful tool that helps to match customs intermediaries with traders looking for support with their import and export arrangements. It is a way to show the services your business offers.

The email will ask you to do one of the following:

• keep your details up-to-date
• provide your details to include in the register

The email subject titles will be:

• ‘List of customs agents’
• ‘List of fast parcel or express operators’
• ‘Join the GOV.UK customs intermediaries register ‘

The email will contain a link to the register of customs agents and fast parcel operators on GOV.UK. HMRC will never ask you for any personal or financial information in the email.

Tax-free Childcare service

HMRC’s Tax-free Childcare service regularly send emails to advise parents that they could be missing out on government contributions towards childcare costs from the UK Government.

VAT debts reminders

HMRC may send an email to customers who are overdue with VAT payments. HMRC will use email addresses that customers have already provided and will recommend that customers pay online to avoid further action. These emails will never ask you to provide personal or financial information.

VAT EU refund service failed validation

Customers that use the VAT EU refunds service may receive an email if their claim has failed validation. The email will provide details explaining why the claim has failed.

The emails will not ask for any personal or financial information.

VAT registration

HMRC will send an email to customers who have registered for VAT using HMRC online services. HMRC will use the email address customers have provided to advise that they need to log into their online tax account in order to view a message in the secure messaging area.

These emails will never ask you to provide personal or financial information.

VAT Returns reminder

HMRC will send an email to customers to remind them when their VAT Return is due if they’ve registered to receive email reminders. The emails have the title ‘Reminder to file your VAT return’ and contain links to a further information page and a link to the sign in page on the GOV.UK website.

These emails will never ask you to provide personal or financial information.

Other emails you should check

You can also check emails listed in HMRC contact that uses more than one communication method.