SEISS Verification Letter

HMRC is asking some of those who started self-employment in 2019/20 and who wish to claim the fourth and fifth self-employment income support (SEISS) grants to complete pre-verification checks to confirm their identity and provide evidence of trade.

Taxpayers will receive a letter between 8 March and mid-April 2021, notifying them that they will receive a phone call from HMRC within 10 working days.

On the call, HMRC will ask the taxpayer to confirm their email address and agree to receive a link to a secure Dropbox. They will then have two days to upload one form of identity and three months’ worth of bank statements to demonstrate their business activity, before the link expires.

HMRC has confirmed it will make three attempts to phone, therefore taxpayers who receive the letter should check that HMRC holds the correct telephone number for them. If the number needs to be updated, they must contact 0800 024 1222 (this line is for updating telephone numbers only and will not be able to deal with any other queries).

If HMRC is unsuccessful in reaching the taxpayer, they will write a further letter.

Taxpayers who receive the letter but do not complete the checks will be unable to claim a grant.

Scam Warning

Many traders will dismiss the HMRC letter and/or HMRC phone call as a sophisticated scam to obtain their ID and bank details.

Loading documents to a Dropbox account will look particularly suspicious to the inexperience taxpayer, who will have little prior contact with HMRC if the 2019/20 tax return is the first one they will have submitted.

It is also highly likely that scammers will copy this procedure to launch attacks on many genuine businesses.

Be informed

You can check your eligibility here.  If you’re not eligible HMRC will not write to you, nor phone you seeking verification.

Open the letter

Open your letters from HM Revenue and Customs. Check the details. If you’re uncertain of anything contact your accountant or tax advisor.