Small firms missing out on VAT rebates worth thousands due to HMRC fraud backlog

Small firms missing out on VAT rebates worth thousands due to HMRC fraud backlog

Small business owners are losing money because of a backlog of fraud cases at HMRC, The i Paper can reveal. Chas Brooke, the owner of an alpaca farm, has not been able to file his VAT return since July, costing him as much as £5,000 in reimbursement. HMRC told him it will take six months for the issue to be resolved due to a huge volume of fraudulent claims and a shortage of staff. After The i Paper contacted HMRC, a spokesperson said it had now…