7 Checks Before Responding to an HMRC Email

Verify a Council Tax refund message through your council’s own website or a trusted number before opening its link or sharing financial details. A real overpayment can exist, but that does not authenticate an unexpected message. I would check the account and refund process independently, keeping the message only as evidence until the council confirms what, if anything, is due.

1. Which authority sent the Council Tax refund message?

Council Tax is administered locally in England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland uses domestic rates instead. A generic claim to be the national refund authority should therefore prompt closer inspection. Identify the council responsible for the property, including an old address if you have moved.

In October 2026, Highland Council warned about emails claiming to come from a Council Revenue Authority team. Its advice was to contact the council directly before clicking links or providing information. The invented authority name mattered because it disguised who should actually manage the account.

Use contact details from a previous genuine bill or the council website you reach independently. A local sounding website name, including Local News Point, is not the same thing as a council department. Do not rely on a telephone number supplied by the unverified sender.

2. Does the account match your property and liability?

Compare the property address, account reference, liable person and period with your records. A message containing your name is not conclusive: personal details may be known to someone impersonating an organisation. A refund for a period when you were not liable needs explanation from the council.

If the claim concerns a previous home, ask the council for that area to review the closed account. Do not assume that your current council can confirm a balance held elsewhere. For a joint account, clarify who is entitled to receive any credit and what authorisation is needed.

Check the actual account without following the message’s login button. If you cannot access the online service, ask for a statement through the council’s normal contact route rather than uploading identification to an unfamiliar page.

3. Is a credit shown, and why was it created?

A refund should have an identifiable basis, such as an overpayment, an account adjustment or a corrected entitlement. Ask the council to explain the amount and relevant dates. An impressive figure in a text does not establish that it is payable to you.

Keep the distinction between a credit balance and a promised cash payment. Ask whether the balance has already been refunded or will be applied elsewhere on your account. General reading on Weekly Journal cannot establish your individual entitlement; the account calculation is what needs to match.

4. Does the requested process match this council’s policy?

Councils do not all handle refunds identically. BCP Council says it refunds to existing account details where held; otherwise it sends a credit bill explaining how to apply online. That is its stated process, not a rule to impose on every authority.

Ask your council whether you must apply, which official form to use and what information it needs. Some councils send legitimate texts or emails for other Council Tax matters, so the channel alone is not a reliable verdict. Verify the requested action instead.

Be wary of fees to release a refund or mandatory agents for checking a tax band. Nottingham City Council warns about both tactics and notes that band checks can be made free of charge.

Ask how long a verified refund normally takes and how to follow it up. Record the account reference and enquiry date. That gives you a practical next step without returning to the original sender when another urgent reminder arrives or a promised payment fails.

5. What information and urgency does the sender demand?

Do not disclose card details, passwords or security codes through an unexpected message. Press Hubs is a separate website name, not an official refund credential. Reject pressure to act before independent checks. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and texts to 7726. If financial information was exposed, contact your bank immediately. A confirmed credit can be handled through the council’s genuine process without testing the suspicious link.

Council refund procedures vary; confirm your account and the applicable process directly with the responsible authority.