Paid money to wrong bank account

[salahuddin]

Hi everyone,

I messed up and need help on the what I need to do next.

I make my Vat payment through my mobile app banking but for some reason on 28th February 2020 I made a payment and then another one on 14th August 2020. The following day I was paying something completely different and realised I've got 2 HMRC saved payment accounts. I then looked into it and realised that those two last payments was sent to HMRCs correct sort code but the account number was wrong. I don't know how the account number was saved as my Vat number minus one digit.

Both payments has been taken from my account, I've contacted HMRC and they have confirmed that the payments has not been received by them. I've contacted Barclays bank and they are looking into this.

I was wondering what happened, surely there shouldn't be a same account with the name HMRC, same sort code and my Vat number as an actual bank account. Also shouldn't this incorrect details meant the money to bounce back to my account, does anyone know where the money has gone or any experience in this?

Is there a change this money will not be returned to me, I am slightly worried as its a large sum and especially payments that should of been sent to HMRC.

Appreciate any help, thanks.

[jaguarsuk]

If it’s a valid account with HMRC it’s gone into that account, Barclays should have done a BACs recall on the funds immediately.

If it’s not a valid account number with that bank it will have gone into what banks call suspense accounts. The bank can do one of two things, try to apply the funds to the correct account and if not return the money to where it came from (you).

It’s more likely that the account number was invalid as pretty much only the government banks with the Bank of England, even the Queen doesn’t bank with them. She banks with Coutts for anyone reading this and wondering.

If Barclays have raised it with the Bank of England they’ll be looking for where the money has gone, so will come back to Barclays when they know if they have applied it or it’s in suspense therefore they’ll return it.

If they have applied HMRC probably don’t know because of the incorrect VAT number to apply it to your VAT account.

[salahuddin]

Thanks for the reply, HMRC should know which person paid in as I put the correct reference down and only got the account number wrong.

I'm surprised that the February payment which I made hasn't been rectified by them. But saying that I only found out myself on the 15th of August and have put the claim in for both transactions today. I'm hoping that it is gone to the suspense account which you mention and they pay me back rather than any other companies or persons account as I might face a challenge to reclaim that back.
Do you think that any one else has the same sort code as HMRC?

[jaguarsuk]

It’s not HMRC’s it’s the Bank of England’s and as far as I’m aware only the government have accounts with them.

As I said previously not even the Queen banks with them.