Reviewed by Edward Waine, Quality & Service Manager at RIFT Tax Refunds

Think you might be entitled to an income tax rebate? Great news. But if your claim is successful, how long will you be waiting for the cash to land in your bank account? Here we’ll take a look at the timelines at play and what you can do to make the whole process as smooth and seamless as possible.

How long does it take to get your tax rebate?

HMRC can be a slow-moving beast at times, and the cogs of the organisation can sometimes take a while to turn.

In most cases, your income tax rebate should usually be confirmed within 8-10 weeks. After this, the money can land in your account anywhere from 3-4 days to four weeks. On average, from start to finish you’re potentially looking at around 12 weeks in total.

Can I process my tax rebate myself?

Of course, there’s no reason why you can’t process your tax rebate yourself. But if you’re looking to get the money as fast as possible, it’s crucial not to miss any of the steps or the important documentation. It can be a complex process if you’re a first timer.

By using RIFT Refunds to do everything for you, you’re putting your trust in our expertise. We deal with HMRC every single day and know exactly what it takes to get a tax rebate over the line as quickly as possible. Plus, you can track the progress of your rebate with our helpful RIFT Refunds App. If you use our handy tax rebate calculator too, you can get a good idea of what you may be owed before we start your claim.

The tax rebate timescales with RIFT Refunds

We’ve summarised how the process works below but it’s worth noting that depending on the time of year, these timescales can change:

  • Sign and return your 64-8 form to authorise us as your agent as quickly as possible. It can take us between 2-6 weeks to become logged as your agent.

The 64-8 form is the most important piece of paperwork we need to claim your tax rebate for you. It’s what allows the taxman to talk to us instead of you dealing with him personally. HMRC won’t let us do anything on your behalf without it. Edward Waine, Quality & Service Manager at RIFT Tax Refunds

  • Get all the information to us as soon as you can. This includes things like your UTR number if you’re self-employed and documentation relating to the specific costs you’ve incurred.
  • It usually takes us about four weeks to put your claim together. But again, depending on time of year this can vary anywhere between 2 days or 12 weeks.
  • It’s then sent to HMRC to review, which can take about 8 or 9 weeks.
  • Once HMRC is happy with it, they will confirm the total.
  • We take our fee and get the money to you in three working days. We’ll let you know by phone and text when the money is on its way to you. You can choose cheque or direct debit.

Is there anything that can affect the timescales?

The biggest factor that can affect the potential timescales for getting your cash is an incorrect application – that’s why it pays to work with us to process your rebate in the best way possible. We ask you to collaborate with us and provide us with as much information as you can – this includes all your work expenses. Take a look at our documentation checklist, which should give you an idea of what we need from you.

The workload at HMRC can also be a factor. Immediately after the self-assessment deadline of 31st January, the new tax year and the tax credit renewals deadline on 31st July, HMRC will be swamped. Avoiding these times will help get your application processed as quickly as possible. However as a RIFT customer you’ll benefit from our close relationship with HMRC. We monitor HMRC response times on a weekly basis and will keep you informed on any changes.

Can I keep up to date with the progress of my application?

Of course, that’s one of the many benefits of using RIFT Refunds. Not only can you track the status of your rebate in our RIFT Refunds App, but we’re also regularly in contact with HMRC. So if you want a bit more information on where everything is up to, you can simply give us a call – we can hop on the phone with HMRC, so you don’t have to.

If you’re entitled to a tax rebate, you’ll want to get your money as quickly as possible. At RIFT, we’re here to help you every step of the way to make sure that happens. Get in touch with us today to find out more.