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I got a phone call that says it is from HMRC: is it a scam?

How to check a phone call that says it is from HMRC against GOV.UK's list, the signs GOV.UK gives for a fake call, how to check and report one, and what GOV.UK says if you gave details or paid.

Last reviewed 10 October 2026 · How Tax Letters checks its facts

The short answer

Where to check it
GOV.UK publishes a list of recent phone contacts from HMRC, to help you decide if a phone call you have received is a scam.
Signs of a scam
HMRC says a contact could be a scam if it rushes you, is threatening, is unexpected, asks for personal information like bank details, tells you to transfer money, or offers a refund, tax rebate or grant.
Gift or payment vouchers
HMRC says it will never ask you to pay with gift or payment vouchers.
To report one
To help HMRC investigate, the page says to share call details on its suspicious phone call reporting form, including the date of the call, the phone number used and the content of the call.
Your options at a glance
Check the call against GOV.UK's list of HMRC calls · Report it · If you gave details · If you paid

Sources: GOV.UK: Check if a phone call you've received from HMRC is genuine (checked 10 Oct 2026) · All 10 sources and dates

What the deadline means

Dates, as HMRC and GOV.UK state them

When it was read for this page, GOV.UK's list of phone calls from HMRC showed a last updated date of 30 June 2026.

Source: GOV.UK: Check if a phone call you've received from HMRC is genuine (checked 10 Oct 2026)

Why you got it

GOV.UK gives reasons for HMRC using more than one way to get in touch: it can provide an extra level of security, and it can help prepare you for the follow up contact.

A GOV.UK news story of 17 November 2020 said many scams target customers to inform them of a fake tax rebate or tax refund they are due, and that others trick people into paying fictitious tax bills.

Got a letter from HMRC? Paste it into the checker for a plain-English identification.

Your options

  1. Check the call against GOV.UK's list of HMRC calls

    GOV.UK lists the phone calls HMRC may make, including recorded voice messages, and what each one is for.

  2. Report it

    A phone call asking for personal information or threatening a lawsuit can be reported to HMRC online, through GOV.UK's page on reporting HMRC scams.

  3. If you gave details

    GOV.UK's checklist page says that if you have already shared personal details, you can report a disclosure of personal information to the HMRC security team.

  4. If you paid

    If you have been the victim of a scam and lost money, GOV.UK says to report it to Report Fraud through its website, or to Police Scotland on 101 if you live in Scotland.

These are the routes GOV.UK describes, set out as information from GOV.UK and HMRC. They are not advice on your own case.

The phone calls HMRC does make

Debt management and automated voice messages

GOV.UK's list says HMRC is sending voice prompts to some customers, explaining what to do if you are behind with your payments. They arrive as an inbound phone call to landline and mobile phones, and give details for paying HMRC or a helpline number to contact.

The list says these debt management messages will not ask for any personal or financial information, and that HMRC is also sending messages with advice about how important it is to make payments using the correct information.

A missed call from HMRC

GOV.UK's list says HMRC may contact you by phone, or leave a voicemail, from the number 0300 200 3884, and that this telephone number is not for general HMRC enquiries.

The list says that when HMRC contacts you this way it will call you on a mobile or landline device, and will never ask for personal or financial information during the call.

Enquiries, visits and checks

GOV.UK's list of HMRC contact that uses more than one communication method says HMRC may contact you to arrange VAT visits and inspections, and will always try to phone you first, sending a letter or email if that does not work. The call asks you to arrange a visit and confirms what information HMRC will want to see. HMRC says it will not ask you for any personal information, such as your bank details.

The list says HMRC may phone employees to discuss their current or previous employment. If it calls, it will say the enquiry is about the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage, ask basic questions about current or previous work, and complete some standard security questions. It says it will never ask for personal financial information such as bank details without writing to you first.

The list says HMRC's Fraud Investigation Service, which investigates suspected tax fraud and economic crime, may contact you by telephone, email or text message, for example as a potential witness or to invite you to a voluntary formal interview. It says you can confirm the identity of someone representing HMRC.

The list also names research companies that call on HMRC's behalf. For one study it says that the research company, Verian, will not ask you for your personal financial information.

The list says HMRC may send access codes for logging in to your HMRC tax account by text message or voice call, and that these text messages and voice calls will never ask you to give personal or financial information.

GOV.UK's list of phone calls ends with a pointer to its page on HMRC contact that uses more than one communication method, where more phone calls are listed.

The signs of a fake call

Threats

HMRC says it will never leave a voicemail threatening legal action, and will never threaten arrest.

An automated call that asks for a payment

GOV.UK's page of examples says HMRC is aware of an automated phone call scam which tells you HMRC is filing a lawsuit against you, and to press 1 to speak to a caseworker to make a payment. The page says this is a scam and you should end the call immediately.

The page adds that other scam calls may refer to National Insurance number fraud, or offer a tax refund and ask you to provide your bank or credit card information.

Who is calling

The page says that if you cannot verify the identity of a caller, it recommends that you do not speak to them.

The page says phishing calls use a variety of phone numbers.

How to check a call

GOV.UK's pages give a few ways to check a call. They are set out here as GOV.UK words them.

A GOV.UK news story of 17 November 2020 about scammers posing as HMRC gave this advice for unexpected contact: do not respond, hang up the phone, and take care not to click on any links in unexpected emails or text messages.

The same news story advised contacting HMRC directly using a phone number you have used before, to check the communication you have received.

For VAT visits, the list says that if you are not sure whether the call, email or letter is from HMRC, you can contact the VAT helpline.

  • GOV.UK: Contact HMRCGOV.UK's Contact HMRC page lists how to contact HMRC by subject, usually through an online form, webchat, by phone or by post, and has an entry for contact from HMRC that you think might not be genuine.

Voicemail, WhatsApp and message variants

Voicemail

If you miss the call, the list says HMRC may leave a voicemail to let you know it will try to contact you again.

For anyone who uses call-blocking features, the list says to check that they allow calls from HMRC on that number.

WhatsApp

HMRC says it will not contact you by WhatsApp for any reason other than the UK Government Channel, which you choose to subscribe to and which sends single message alerts you cannot reply to.

A suspicious message in an app, for example WhatsApp, can be reported by taking a screenshot and emailing it to [email protected].

How to report a scam call

GOV.UK says the email address and phone number you report from will be shared with other organisations if that is necessary to close down the scam.

Checks on this site

  • The scam checkCalls, texts, emails and letters: check through GOV.UK, not the message.
  • The letter checkerPaste a letter or message, or take a photo of a letter, to see what it most likely is. Your letter is read here and is not kept.
  • Spot the FakeA daily practice page for telling real HMRC contact from fakes.

If it turns out to be HMRC

For a call that matches an entry on GOV.UK's list, the entry says what the call is for and, for the calls it lists, what HMRC will not ask you for during it. HMRC's lists describe emails, phone calls, letters and text messages it has recently issued. Not every HMRC communication is included.

If you ignore real HMRC contact

Setting aside a call you suspect is a scam is not the same as setting aside real HMRC contact, and GOV.UK's lists exist so the two can be told apart. What follows from leaving a real call unanswered depends on its subject, and GOV.UK's page for that subject states it.

If you want to ask an adviser

  • Is there anything open on my HMRC record that HMRC would be phoning me about?
  • If I gave details to a caller, what would an adviser check on my HMRC online account and records?
  • Could a real HMRC call and a fake one both be about a debt or an enquiry I already have?
  • If I paid a caller, who would an adviser contact first, and what would they ask me to keep?

Quick answers

Does HMRC send text messages as well as phone calls?

GOV.UK says HMRC does send text messages to some customers, and that a text might include a link to GOV.UK information or to HMRC webchat.

What about a text that offers a refund?

HMRC advises not to open any links or reply to a text message claiming to be from HMRC that offers you a tax refund in exchange for personal or financial details. HMRC may send a text saying you are due a tax refund (a P800 refund) if it has sent a letter and had no response. GOV.UK says that text will not ask you for personal or financial information or provide any links to websites.

Does HMRC use QR codes?

HMRC uses QR codes in its letters, usually leading to guidance on GOV.UK, and says it will tell you if a code goes anywhere else and that you will never be taken to a page where you have to put in personal information. When you are signed in to your HMRC account it may use a QR code to redirect you, for example to your bank's login page.

What if someone claiming to be HMRC contacts me on social media?

HMRC says it will never use social media to offer a tax rebate or to request personal or financial information. Details of an account claiming to be HMRC that you cannot verify can be emailed to [email protected].

  • HMRC scam lettersA letter that says it is from HMRC and that you are not sure about: the lists and signs HMRC and GOV.UK publish for checking it, and what they say to do if it is fake or you have already replied or paid.
  • HMRC scam emailsHow to check an email that says it is from HMRC against GOV.UK's lists, the signs GOV.UK gives for a fake, the fake patterns it has described, how to report one, and what GOV.UK says if you replied or clicked.
  • P800 tax calculationHMRC's calculation of your finished tax year, showing a refund or an underpayment.
  • Penalty, assessment or compliance check lettersThe letters whose deadlines can be fixed by law.
  • The date on your letter has passedWhat a passed date does and does not change.

Want a person to look at it with you?

Everything on Tax Letters is free, and so is dealing with HMRC directly. If you would like a person to go through the letter with you, the free routes are listed below and are often all that is needed. Paid help is pointed to only for the kinds of letter that can need a specialist.

Where to get help

You can deal with HMRC directly, free, without any adviser. If money is tight, free help: TaxAid, which says it helps “people who can’t afford to pay for help” (Tax Help for Older People is now part of TaxAid), and Citizens Advice.

Tax Letters takes no referral fees. How Tax Letters is funded.