Vat bill paid. HMRC claiming not paid.

Hiya! So I paid a small vat bill in October 2022. I closed my vat account as I went to an employed job yet received a letter in February this year from HMRC claiming it had not been paid. I wrote and sent a recorded letter to HMRC Vat on 8th April 2024, with a copy of the bank statement, a copy of their letter dated October 2022 showing the amount outstanding on the account and what account number and sort code I had paid (which had been the same for last 5 years). Today I have received a letter from a debt collection agency chasing the same amount. What steps should i take please? Thanks,

Hi,

Please contact our VAT team so we can trace your payment.

VAT: general enquiries

Thank you.

Thanks but no good. As I de-registered from vat 2 years ago, it won’t let me interact. The link above is just a computer chat that tells me how to pay! Or to ring a number (which I can’t do). Hey ho.

Hi,

The link provided allows you to contact with HMRC by phone and also by webchat. We can help even though the business is deregistered. If you are using webchat then please state that you want to speak to an advisor and you will then get put through to an actual person who can help.

VAT: general enquiries

Thank you.