How can I get my tax refund back? Nothing ever happens to my request online?

I filed my self assessment in January and was owed a sum as a refund due to over paying my tax on account the previous year. I have followed the links in my account to give my bank details, passed the security stuff and got a submission reference. On checking back after a few days there is no mention of the refund or submission reference and again I am told to 'click here to claim your tax refund to your bank account' - did it all again and got another Submission reference. Waited a week - nothing. Went online to check again - same thing. No mention anywhere of the refund or submission reference / progress / update - nothing....and again I am told to 'click here to claim your tax refund to your bank account' - so guess what I did it again and got another Submission reference etc. We are now coming to the end of April - I now have 14 Submission references since January for the same thing from HMRC saying we have received and are processing then it just goes back too square 1???? I have also been ringing HMRC daily for over 4 weeks - they never answer the phone??? Or it just cuts off. Can anyone help me please I really need my money back and I just cannot get anywhere with getting thru to HMRC. TIA

Hi Hellfighter,

If your refund is not being processed and you have not received a letter from us you will need to keep trying to get through to our helpline to discuss this.

Self Assessment: general enquiries

Thank you. 

Hello mate. I had the exact same problem. Requested refund, waited 48 hours then it went back to same page. Tried it twice then eventually called them. 1hr and a half on hold but eventually got the lady to do it on the phone for me and she told me I earned £5 interest (silver lining) still waiting on it to be paid 10 days later but it got me past the stage you’re stuck at. Give them a call and tell them the issue, they check your account for any reason it might be doing that (there won’t be) and they’ll do it over the phone with the bank details you give them. Give it 2 days after the call and your account should change and no longer let you try to claim the amount yourself. They’re very quick to send a letter when you owe them, but if they owe you they don’t half make it a palaver haha. Good luck mate, unsure if you can message or reply to this as I’ve only signed up to reply to you but if you can message me if need any other info

Exactly the same for me.

Same here. Ive put in tax refund claim 3 times now. Got 1 letter saying do self assessment and I did and still no refund. I see the response above is to keep trying the helpline. Here's how it goes on the helpline AI " you should have received a reply by 19/7" "we're sending you a text- goodbye" and cut off again and again. You open the link in the text they promised you and you get directed to a chat bot "you should have received a reply by 19/7" and no option and so you go around and around in circles. If I wasn't so frustrated, I would laugh my head off as the ineptitude of the system. So, how is anyone actually getting through on the help line without getting cut off? Any tips? Is there a magic code word that gets you through without being told goodbye and disconnected? Grateful for any help as I desperately need this refund to pay my bills and its now been since 14th May 2023 since I claimed.

Did anyone end up getting the refund?