HMRC and Companies House scams aimed at small businesses

If you're self-employed, your details are easy to find, and scammers know when tax deadlines fall. Messages threaten penalties, promise refunds, or ask for a "filing fee".

Common versions

A text or email about a tax refund with a link
A call threatening arrest or court for unpaid tax
A letter or email asking you to pay to "register" or "renew" with Companies House or a trade directory
A request for your Government Gateway login

How to check

Log in to your HMRC or Companies House account yourself through gov.uk. Anything genuine will be there. HMRC publishes a list of genuine contact methods on gov.uk, which is worth checking.

Never give your Government Gateway login or code to anyone who contacts you.

Reporting

Forward suspicious HMRC emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599. Other scam emails can go to report@phishing.gov.uk.