The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is warning agents to ignore text messages from 'TaxGateway'.
The messages, received by a number of ICAEW members, ask the recipient to click on a link and confirm details of their agent services.
- HMRC have confirmed that these messages are fraudulent and should not be responded to.
The messages follow HMRC's recent request for tax agents to Confirm their agent codes for Self Assessment, VAT and Corporation Tax by 6 December 2024, making the scam messages appear more plausible.
The ICAEW reminds agents that HMRC has published guidance on:
- Protecting your agent login details and reducing the risk of fraud when using HMRC online services.
- Genuine HMRC contacts.
Useful guides on this topic
Confirm HMRC agent codes by 6 December
On 4 October 2024, HMRC e-mailed tax agents to request that they provide details of their agent codes for Self Assessment, VAT and Corporation Tax by 8 November 2024. This deadline has now been extended to 6 December 2024.
Setting up as a tax agent
What do you need to consider when setting up as a tax agent? What are the steps? How do you register with HMRC?
Tax Agents: HMRC's Standard for Agents
Our guide to HMRC's 'Standard for agents', HMRC's approach to tackling bad agent behaviour, and providing a definition of a tax adviser.
Professional Conduct in Relation to Taxation
The Professional Conduct in Relation to Taxation (PCRT), adopted by the main professional accounting and tax bodies, sets out the professional standards that are expected of a member when undertaking tax work.
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ICAEW: Don’t respond to agent services text message, warns ICAEW