Delay in obtaining inheritance tax rebate

Hi we overpaid on inheritance tax on my late fathers investments and also on the sale of his property. We submitted relevant IHT35 and IHT38 forms in May 2022. It is now mid Jan 2024 and we have received no refund nor communication from HMRC despite numerous phone calls and on line complaint in December and by post beginning of January. We now call them weekly and get different explanations each time, always contradictory. Is this reasonable? Does this meet with the content of the HMRC charter? We think not. Any advice please on how we can get HMRC to act on our reasonable case - its now 19 1/2 months. Thanks

Hi,

Please contact the Inheritance Tax team for advice.

Inheritance Tax: general enquiries

Thank you.

Hi - we have had exactly the same issue, having sent an IHT38, C4 and supporting documentation in August 2024. It is now April 2025 and I have called the support number several times and been told on multiple occasions that a referral or urgent referral was being made in order for the matter to be processed. These appear to have had no effect, nor did a letter of complaint I sent on the advice of the HMRC support officer I spoke to back in February. There seems no further way to escalate this. HMRC just seems to be holding on to people's money and is not accountable. Thank you for any advice you can offer.

I’m in exactly the same boat with an IHT38 and am being told each time I call that it’s another 10 days for a referral as nothing has progressed. Also need to do a deed of variation to my father’s estate to maximise my mother’s IHT allowance, but there is little point spending the money to do this if the overpayment of IHT is never going to be refunded. Any advice gratefully received.