VAT rebate is delayed, HMRC have sent me a letter

Hi. My latest VAT rebate for 12/23 is delayed. I have just checked my make tax digital account and it says: "We have sent you a letter to explain that your repayment is delayed." However, I have not received the letter yet and cannot seem to get through on the phone. Has anyone else had this, or have any idea of what the letter might say? Thanks, Billy.

Hi Billy Ward,
Please refer to following guidance:
Treatment of VAT repayment returns and supplements (VAT Notice 700/58)
This can happen in some cases where a reclaim return maybe flagged for further verification.
We unable to help further on this platform, please contact our helpline, best times to try the helpline are 8am -9am, 5pm to 6pm as these are quieter times.
VAT: general enquiries
Thank you. 

I have had several clients who have had delayed repayments and on their gateway it states "we have sent a letter.... and no letter has ever been received. The fact that this has happened to several clients suggests that this is an IT issue/communication issue and not a one-off situation just affecting you. I have flagged this with HMRC on the agent forum but it seems no action was taken. My resolution was to call the VAT helpline and persist with waiting 45 minutes on hold until you get to speak to someone and then once you have someone to speak with, they can then resolve the issue. It seems there is a disconnect between the VAT return being flagged for review and someone actually reviewing it, so making a call to give it a nudge appears the only solution. Thank heavens that HMRC did not turn off their helpline as they had planned at start of April, else you'd have no way to get your refund or enquiry dealt with.

I have a similar issue with the estimated repayment date having passed. The problem is I can't seem to speak to anyone on the phone as the line cuts off after stating the "Overwhelming call log". Is there really any way to contact HMRC about a late VAT refund?

Hi,

Please keep trying to contact our VAT team, or use the digital assistant to webchat with us if you are still experiencing problems on the telephone. The link to chat can be found on the VAT contact page:

VAT: general enquiries

Thank you.