MoneyHMRCYou must take action if you get one of the HMRC letters to arrange the paymentNicholas Dawson12:41, 21 Aug 2026HMRC has shared an update about "money owed" letters going out to customers. The group explained how you can proactively check yourself to see if you are affected by the issue.‌The matter came to light after a person contacted HMRC over social media with a query about their son's tax situation. They said their son had paid too much tax after losing his job in the 2025/2026 tax year. They said the relevant details were on his record. The concerned parent asked: "This is recorded on his personal tax account. When will he exactly receive his refund?"‌Important timeframesHMRC responded to set out some important timings to bear in mind. The tax authority said: "Your son will receive his refund within five working days if he claims it online through his personal tax account." You can also request a paper cheque to be sent in the post. HMRC told the customer that in this case, the cheque "takes up to six weeks to arrive" in the post.‌State Pensioners to face major tax changeThe person thanked the group for clarifying the key dates, but they had another question about their particular case. They asked: "The money has been outstanding since the end of the tax year. You say HMRC will mail the cheque, when should that have been sent?"‌To which HMRC responded: "It could be any time between June and November. To expedite this I would suggest contacting the income tax helpline." HMRC was asked for more details about its tax refund process.Letters to taxpayersA spokesperson said: "Customers who have overpaid tax through PAYE receive a P800 tax calculation letter which explains what action they need to take to claim the money owed, either via gov.uk or the HMRC app. Anyone yet to receive a letter can check if they are due a refund by logging into their personal tax account or the HMRC app."The group said that the peak period for when it sorts out PAYE end of year refunds runs from June to July. This is when the department prioritises processing overpayments and issuing tax calculations.Article continues belowYou must take actionIf you get a P800 tax calculation letter, the onus is on you to take action and claim the repayment. The rules changed back in May 2024, as prior to this if you didn't do anything within 21 days of a P800 being issued, HMRC would automatically send you a cheque in the post.But now these cheques are no longer sent automatically so the taxpayer has to take action. More information about tax overpayments and underpayments is available on the Government website.Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌HMRCTax