We have been made aware of a VAT fraud when a business has filed their own VAT returns.
Their gateway ID and password have either been stolen and used, or a scammer has gone down the route of “forgotten user id and password” and used what info they can gain online to access the account this way. A fraudulent VAT return with a significant repayment has then been filed through a separate MTD software, using the business’s gateway credentials.
Had this been successful, it could have been very difficult to establish with HMRC that the client did not owe back the large repayment amount. However, in this case the VAT Return was pulled by HMRC for checks and the fraud became apparent.
If you file your own VAT returns you suspect a fraud has occurred, please contact us.
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