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LF for comments for The Sun today on HMRC tax change

Journalist: Laura Purkess, Freelance

ended 28. August 2026

Hiya, looking for a quick comment on this for an article in The Sun this morning - just a view on why HMRC has made this change, what it means for taxpayers claiming, etc. Thank you!

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employer-bulletin-august-2026/august-2026-issue-of-the-employer-bulletin

Changes to the multi-year tax refund process  

HMRC is changing how repayments are issued for the majority of employees who make a multi-year P800 tax refund request.   

Employees who make a claim for a multi‑year tax refund will now need to request their repayment through HMRC’s digital services, rather than automatically receiving a cheque.   

This change aligns multi‑year claims with the wider P800 repayment process introduced in May 2024, where customers must take action to receive any money they are owed.   

Help your employees understand that they now need to request their repayment, rather than waiting for a cheque to be issued.    

What this means for your employees   

The are no changes to the process for employees requesting multi-year claims.  

Once their claim has been processed, they will receive a P800 Tax Calculation letter and be asked to request their repayment.  

Repayments are no longer issued automatically by cheque. 

The quickest way to receive payment is through HMRC’s digital services. 

We may contact employees during the process to explain how to claim their repayment.   

How employees receive their repayment   

Once a claim has been agreed, employees can request their repayment through the HMRC app or their personal tax account.  

Employees do not need to be fully set up for HMRC online services to request a tax refund.  

They can request their refund through the tax overpayments and underpayments pageusing the unique reference number in their P800 letter and their National Insurance number, rather than signing in with Government Gateway credentials. 

Repayments requested digitally are normally made by bank transfer within one week.    

Those who prefer a cheque or are digitally excluded can still choose to request a cheque, however this will take longer to arrive. Further information and options for receiving payment are available by contacting Income Tax enquiries.



 

2 responses from the Newspage community

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Editor
Tony Sanchez
Founder at Bridging Loan Directory
This appears to be another step towards digitalising HMRC and reducing the time and administration involved in issuing cheques. For taxpayers who act promptly, a bank transfer normally arriving within a week should be quicker and more convenient.

The danger is that money previously sent automatically must now be actively claimed. Some people will overlook the P800 letter, assume payment is on its way or struggle with the digital process, leaving legitimate refunds uncollected.

Anyone receiving a P800 should check the calculation carefully and follow the official instructions rather than waiting for a cheque. They can claim through the HMRC app, their personal tax account or by using the reference on the letter with their National Insurance number. Those who are digitally excluded can still request a cheque.

Taxpayers should access HMRC through GOV.UK rather than links in unexpected texts or emails, as publicity around refunds may also create an opportunity for scammers.
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Editor
David Stirling
Independent Financial Adviser at Mint Wealth
This is HMRC quietly shifting the burden of chasing your own money from them to you. It's dressed up as digital modernisation, and it genuinely should be faster, with refunds by bank transfer land within a week instead of waiting for the postman and a cheque that looks like it's been through the wash. But the real driver is cost and admin, as cheques are expensive to print, slow to clear, and a headache to reconcile compared to a quick digital nudge.

The catch is your refund used to just turn up like an unexpected birthday card, but now if you ignore that P800 letter, the taxman is quite happy to let your money gather dust rather than chase you down with it. Anyone owed a multi-year refund needs to actually open the letter and claim it, because HMRC has never once been accused of being over-eager to hand cash back.