Rogue refunds of Class 2 NI due to HMRC failure
HMRC has incorrectly refunded Class 2 NI to some self-employed taxpayers. What should you do if you get an unexpected payment?

Self-employed taxpayers with profits below £6,725 can voluntarily pay Class 2 NI to maintain their entitlement to certain benefits, most importantly, it adds a year to their state pension entitlement record. HMRC appears to have failed to meet the payment deadline for voluntary Class 2 NI for the 2022/23 tax year. As a result, in some cases, its systems have automatically rejected the payment and returned up to £163.80 to the taxpayer. Unfortunately, HMRC is not yet proactively contacting taxpayers to resolve the issue, which means unless affected taxpayers take corrective action, they may lose their entitlement to NI-related benefits for 2022/23.
The Low Incomes Tax Reform Group is recommending that those who have received a refund to call HMRC’s National Insurance helpline on 0300 200 3500 to repay the NI. It's not possible to simply pay the amount to the self-assessment account.
Related Topics
-
HMRC has withdrawn Form 652. How should you notify VAT errors going forward?
-
Can paying interest to your company save tax?
You recently borrowed a substantial sum of money from your company rather than take extra salary or dividends. Your bookkeeper says it might be more tax efficient if your company charged you interest. This sounds counter-intuitive but is it correct?
-
Reverse charge and end user rules: opportunity?
If you sell construction services to other builders, you need to consider the domestic reverse charge rules. You must apply these where your customer is an end user. How might this create a cash-flow advantage?