HMRC’s published guidance titled ‘Check genuine HMRC contact that uses more than one communication method’ has been updated. The list is intended to help taxpayers check if recent contacts purporting to be from HMRC are actually a scam.

The guidance contains a list of emails, phone calls, letters and text messages recently issued by HMRC that are genuine. The list can be useful to help taxpayers decide if a contact is genuine or from a fraudster trying to trick taxpayers into supplying confidential or personal information.

One of the most recent additions on the list concerns contact by HMRC relating to VAT register inactivity. This confirms that HMRC is contacting customers who are believed to no longer need to hold a VAT Registration Number due to recent inactivity on their VAT account. Customers may receive a phone call or email, with the email referring to VAT register inactivity.

The phone calls or emails will ask customers to confirm whether they still require to be VAT registered, and to provide some basic information on where they are trading.

The calls or emails from HMRC do not ask for personal or financial information.