A man’s simple online check led to a surprising windfall when he discovered that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) owed him a substantial sum of money – and it appears he’s not alone. Pav Hall took to TikTok to share his experience, revealing he was nearly £1,000 richer after conducting a simple online tax review, sparking a flurry of Brits to find out they too could claim back thousands.

Pav Hall spread the word online urging others to verify their annual tax situation. He posted a clip showing his own tax check, which resulted in him being entitled to approximately £930.00 – a revelation that left him ecstatic.

Explaining how he uncovered the unexpected rebate, he advised followers to ask Google if HMRC owed them a tax refund, which guided him through the checking process. This comes as changes to income tax are expected next year.

Following Pav’s video, numerous individuals were motivated to investigate their tax status. One woman discovered she was due around £40.00, while another person found they were eligible for a much larger sum.

One commenter exclaimed: “Got £9,200 back. Self-employment is the way, lol.” Another shared their joy, adding: “At least £5,000 back every year – love being self-employed.”

A third individual responded: “I got just over £1,600 back this year. I booked a wee trip to Spain for my birthday next year. Also paid off a few things and treated myself to a new tattoo.”

Meanwhile, a fourth individual shared: “My cousin screamed down the phone at me. They owe him £6,500.” Another person added: “Yeah, I got a nice £1,000. Bought a car.”

For those unaware, it’s possible to check if you’re due a tax refund by completing a straightforward task online.

How to claim a tax refund

You can determine if you’ve overpaid your taxes by conducting a simple online check. Visit the relevant website, answer a few questions and you should be able to find out if you’re owed any money.

The Government website states: “You may be able to get a tax refund (rebate) if you’ve paid too much tax.”

It outlines several circumstances under which you might be entitled to a refund, which include:

• Pay from a job
• Job expenses such as working from home, fuel, work clothing or tools
• A pension
• A Self Assessment tax return
• A redundancy payment
• UK income if you live abroad
• Interest from savings or payment protection insurance (PPI)
• Income from a life or pension annuity
• Foreign income
• UK income earned before leaving the UK

The website further explains: “If you’ve paid too much or too little tax by the end of the tax year (April 5), HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) will send you either:

• A tax calculation letter (also known as a P800)
• A simple assessment letter

“This will tell you how to get a refund or pay tax you owe.”