Cookies are small text files that are stored on your computer when you visit a website. They are mainly used as a way of improving the website functionalities or to provide more advanced statistical data.
Accounting, Taxation and Business Advisers
Call us today: 0118 405 6000 (Local Rate)
or email us info@atbaccounting.co.uk
What size is your
business?
We know you love your business regardless of it's size, so let us offer you sound financial advice
Latest tax tips & news
Dec 2025
- Top earners see an increase in HMRC investigations
- Treasury dealt blow as thousands of EV drivers use tax loophole
- Many risk paying tax twice due to multiple HMRC letter demands
- Snail farms discovered in London offices in tax avoidance scheme
- December Questions and Answers
- December Key Dates
- Autumn Budget 2025
100,000 HMRC accounts hit by scammers
Newsletter issue – October 2025
HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) revealed that it suffered a phishing attack that led to the compromise of around 100,000 personal tax accounts. The incident was described by HMRC officials as 'organised crime', targeting identity data outside HMRC systems.
Scammers managed to extract £47 million through fraudulent PAYE repayments. The breach involved individual PAYE accounts, not corporate ones, and accounts for 0.2% of the PAYE population.
Despite the breach, affected individuals have not suffered financial loss, according to HMRC. They stated that 'This was organised crime phishing for identity data outwith of HMRC systems, so stuff that banks and others will also unfortunately experience and then trying to use that data to create PAYE accounts to pay themselves a repayment and/or access an existing account' and stressed that this was 'not a cyber-attack, we have not been hacked, we have not had data extracted from us.'
The attack began last year and involved international jurisdictions. Arrests have been made as part of the investigation. HMRC locked down compromised accounts and has contacted or is in the process of contacting all affected taxpayers.
