HMRC Watch · independent, not HMRC
What is HMRC up to 👀
Letter campaigns, rule changes and scam waves, written for the person holding the envelope. Each entry says what the letter is, who gets it, what it asks and what HMRC says, with the date and the source beside it.
Last reviewed 8 October 2026 · How Tax Letters checks its facts
The latest
- HMRC said8 October 2026
Self Assessment: HMRC's 8 October 2026 press release encourages customers to start their tax return now and restates the 31 October 2026 paper and 31 January 2027 online deadlines.
HMRC published a press release on GOV.UK on 8 October 2026 encouraging Self Assessment customers to start their tax return now. It gives the paper deadline as 31 October 2026 and the online deadline as 31 January 2027 for the 2025 to 2026 tax year. It is not a letter, an email or a text, and it asks for no payment and no personal details.
- New campaign6 October 2026
Contractors: HMRC's genuine-contact list says an email or letter about Construction Industry Scheme rates may arrive from 7 October to 7 November 2026.
HMRC added Construction Industry Scheme incorrect rates on monthly returns to its list of genuine contact on 6 October 2026. A CIS registered contractor may get an email or letter if checks suggest a deduction rate on a monthly return did not match a subcontractor's verified rate. It asks the contractor to review the returns; HMRC's entry does not mention a payment, bank details or a password.
- Scams5 October 2026
Text messages: HMRC added overdue Self Assessment texts (5 to 9 October 2026) and VAT registration texts (from 5 October 2026) to its list of genuine text messages.
HMRC updated its list of genuine text messages on 5 October 2026. It now lists a Self Assessment overdue text from 5 October up to and including 9 October 2026, and VAT registration application texts from 5 October 2026. HMRC says it will never ask for personal or financial information when it sends text messages.
- New campaign17 September 2026
Bank and building society interest: HMRC says a Simple Assessment for 2025 to 2026 may be followed by a second one for the same year.
HMRC's Agent Update 147, for tax agents, was published on 17 September 2026. It says that from late September 2026 HMRC will start to issue P800 calculations or PA302 Simple Assessment notices for tax owed on bank and building society interest earned between April 2025 and April 2026. Someone who already had a Simple Assessment for 2025 to 2026 without that interest may get a second one.
- Letter list updated15 September 2026
Retirement Annuity Relief: HMRC's genuine-letter window, 14 to 28 September 2026, has ended, and a follow-up text is listed from 29 September 2026.
HMRC added Self Assessment Retirement Annuity Relief to its list of genuine letters on 15 September 2026. It may write to you or your authorised agent from 14 September up to and including 28 September 2026 to ask you to check a claim; that letter window has ended. From 29 September 2026 it may also text people it has written to.