COVID-19: HMRC to accept more email communications

14 April 2020: HMRC has announced that it will temporarily accept email communications from taxpayers in certain circumstances.

HMRC has updated its guidance on the correction of VAT returns and the service of new legal proceedings to confirm it will accept email communications during the coronavirus pandemic.

VAT error correction notices (form VAT652) can no longer be submitted by post and should be emailed to inbox.btcnevaterrorcorrection@hmrc.gov.uk. HMRC has confirmed, however, that it will not respond via email, but will send responses by post.

Meanwhile, new legal proceedings in England and Wales to be served on the solicitor for HMRC should be emailed to newproceedings@hmrc.gov.uk and any pre-action correspondence required should be emailed to preactionletters@hmrc.gov.uk.

ICAEW’s Tax Faculty anticipates that HMRC will broaden this approach to other areas in the coming weeks and suggests checking HMRC’s latest guidance before communicating with HMRC by post.