Forces Money is a trading style of UK Tax Claims Ltd, trading as ZippTax. These terms apply to every claim made through Forces Money.
Terms and conditions
These terms cover what we do for you, what we need from you, and what it costs. We've written them in plain English because tax is complicated enough already.
They're still a contract, so read them properly. If anything is unclear, email info@zipp.tax before you sign. We answer fast and we don't mind the question.
1. Definitions
Who's who, and what we mean when we say it.
- "We", "us", "our"
- UK Tax Claims Limited, trading as ZippTax. Registered in England and Wales, company number 17311308.
- "You", "your"
- You, or anyone you've nominated to deal with us on your behalf.
- "Claim"
- Your instruction for us to recover overpaid tax from HMRC as a rebate.
- "Claim Form"
- The signed document that authorises us to act for you.
- "Website"
- www.zipp.tax
- "Privacy Policy"
- The policy on our Website setting out how we handle the personal and confidential information you give us. It's also below on this page.
- "Services"
- Everything we offer, including (but not limited to) HMRC expenses claims, HMRC tax returns and other tax affairs.
2. Our fees
No rebate, no fee. Here's exactly what we take.
You pay nothing up front. We take our fee from your rebate once HMRC has paid it to us.
Our standard fee is 25% of your refund, plus VAT.
There's a minimum fee of £99 plus VAT on any successful claim.
Our fee applies to every refund we recover for you, including refunds for employment expenses such as underpaid mileage, laundry, uniform, food, tools and other work-related costs.
If a refund was already in progress before you came to us, and it lands as a result of the claim we submit, our fee applies to the full amount.
If you can show us clear evidence that a refund was already in progress, we may refund part of our fee. That's a judgement call on our side, not a promise.
Occasionally your tax affairs need work that goes beyond a standard PAYE expenses claim, more complex Self Assessment, for example. If that happens, we may charge an additional administration fee. We'll tell you before we do the work, send you a clear invoice explaining the charges, and it will never exceed £150.
If you owe HMRC money that we didn't know about when we submitted your claim, and that liability swallows your refund, we may ask you to pay our fee directly.
We review our rates once a year and we'll tell you before any change affects you. What you agreed when you signed is what you pay. We never apply an increase retrospectively. If you'd rather not continue, see section 8.
3. What we need from you
This is the part that needs you.
Work with us. We can only do this properly if you do.
Give us the permissions we need to process your claim or rebate.
Get us the information we ask for promptly, and make sure it's true, accurate and complete, including chasing it up from third parties where you need to.
Keep your records, receipts and mileage logs for seven years after the end of the tax year your rebate relates to. HMRC can ask for them, and they'll ask you, not us.
Tell us about all your income (PAYE, self-employment, pension, rental, benefits) for every tax year we're working on. Same goes for what you've spent for the purposes of your work or business. Back it up with evidence (bank statements, receipts, logs) when we ask for it.
You approve your claim before it goes to HMRC. Approval has to come through the secure software in our client portal, or on documentation we've provided and you've signed. Nothing reaches HMRC without it.
If HMRC later claws money back because the information you gave us was wrong, that's on you, and you won't be able to recover our fee from us. If the mistake was ours, that's a different story and we'll put it right.
4. What we'll claim for
Everything you're owed. Nothing you're not.
We'll work on your behalf to recover any overpayment you've made to HMRC, including all relevant and eligible employment expenses.
We'll claim for the tax years listed on your Claim Form, as far back as HMRC allows, currently four tax years.
5. How we handle your claim
What happens once you've signed.
We use the information you give us to assess, calculate and submit your claim to HMRC.
We aim to submit within 14 days of receiving your signed instruction. Occasionally it takes longer (HMRC, third parties, missing paperwork) and we'll keep you posted if so.
If we need anything more from you, we'll get in touch. Until your claim is submitted, we may hold, amend or cancel it.
6. Where our responsibility ends
The honest limits.
If your claim is reduced or rejected because the information you gave us was inaccurate or incomplete, that's not on us.
We're not responsible if you'd already applied for or received a refund before coming to us, or if you owe money to HMRC.
If HMRC asks for a refund back after we've submitted it, our fee stands. The work was done.
7. Estimates vs. the real thing
An estimate is our best maths. HMRC has the final say.
Any figure we give you before HMRC decides is an estimate, not a guarantee.
We're not liable if the final refund comes in lower than the estimate, or if there's no refund at all.
8. Cancelling
You can walk away. Here's how it works.
You have 14 days from the date we confirm we've accepted your signed 64-8 authority to change your mind, no reason needed. That's your cooling-off period.
To cancel, contact the Claims Specialist looking after your claim.
After those 14 days you can still ask us to stop, and we'll do no further work on your behalf. But if we've already submitted a rebate and can't recover our fee from what it generates, you may be liable for the work we did before you cancelled.
We may also decline or end a claim ourselves, for example if we can't verify your identity, if the information doesn't stack up, or if we can't get what we need from you to do the job properly. If that happens, we'll tell you why.
9. Paying you
Straight to your bank.
Once HMRC's funds have cleared with us, we take our fee and send the balance to you by bank transfer.
10. Your data and anti-money laundering
We take this seriously. So does the law.
Our Privacy Policy on the Website sets out exactly what we collect, why we collect it, and who we share it with. We only share what we have to, principally with HMRC and our identity-verification providers.
We're supervised by HMRC for anti-money laundering purposes under the UK's Money Laundering Regulations. Our registration number is XAML00000209004.
Those regulations require us to check your identity and keep evidence that we've done so. We may run electronic searches against your name (the electoral register, for example) and ask you for photographic ID and two proofs of address.
11. Liability
What we'll cover if something goes wrong.
If we get something wrong, our total liability to you under this contract is limited to the total fees payable by you under it.
We're not responsible for penalties HMRC charges you, unless we've specifically agreed otherwise in writing.
Nothing in these terms limits or excludes our liability for:
- death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or that of our employees, agents or subcontractors;
- fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation;
- breach of the terms implied by section 2 of the Supply of Goods and Services Act 1982 or the equivalent provisions of the Consumer Rights Act 2015;
- anything else the law doesn't allow us to exclude or restrict.
12. If part of this doesn't hold up
One clause falls over, the rest stands.
If any part of these Terms and Conditions is found to be unlawful or unenforceable, that part is treated as removed and the rest stays in force.
13. Changes to these terms
We'll always tell you first.
We may update these terms to reflect changes in the law, in our fees, or in how we run our business. Your Claims Specialist will tell you before any change takes effect. If you'd rather not continue on the new terms, you can cancel under section 8, and we'll refund anything you've paid in advance for services you won't now receive.
14. If something goes wrong
Tell us. We'd rather hear it.
If you're unhappy with anything we've done, email info@zipp.tax with your name and claim reference.
15. Law and jurisdiction
English law. English courts.
These Terms and Conditions are governed by and interpreted in accordance with English law, and all disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.
Privacy policy
This policy explains what personal information we collect when you use Forces Money, why we need it, who we share it with and how long we keep it. It also sets out your rights.
Who we are
Forces Money is a trading style of UK Tax Claims Ltd, trading as ZippTax. UK Tax Claims Ltd is the data controller for your personal information, which means we decide how and why it's used.
- Company number 17311308, registered in England and Wales
- Registered office: 86 Dark Lane, Romsley, Halesowen B62 0PJ
- ICO registration number: 00016213017
- Data protection contact: info@zipp.tax
What we collect
When you apply, or while we work on your claim, we may collect:
- Identity details: your name, title, date of birth, National Insurance number, driving licence number and vehicle registration
- Contact details: your home address, mobile number and email address
- Service details: your service, rank, join and leave dates, the bases you've been posted to and any operational tours
- Tax and financial details: your P60s, tax code, Unique Taxpayer Reference, other income (such as pensions, benefits, rental income, dividends and interest), anything you owe HMRC and any refunds you've already received
- Bank details: so we can pay your refund to you
- Identity documents: photo ID and proofs of address, if we need them to verify who you are
- Your communications with us: emails, messages and notes of phone calls
- Website data: technical information such as your IP address and browser type when you use our website or claim form
If someone refers you, such as a friend or an agent, they may give us your name and contact details.
Why we use it, and our lawful basis
Data protection law says we must have a lawful reason to use your information. Ours are:
- Contract: to assess, calculate and submit your claim to HMRC, talk to HMRC on your behalf, and pay you your refund
- Legal obligation: to check your identity under the Money Laundering Regulations, keep records HMRC and the law require, and respond to lawful requests from authorities
- Legitimate interests: to pursue tax rebate claims on your behalf, prevent fraud, handle complaints, and improve our service and website
- Consent: to send you marketing emails, but only if you've opted in. You can withdraw your consent at any time
We don't use your information to make decisions about you by purely automated means.
Who we share it with
We only share what we need to, and never sell your information. We may share it with:
- HMRC, to submit your claim and manage your tax affairs under the 64-8 authority you sign
- Identity-verification providers, to check your identity electronically, for example against the electoral register
- Service providers who help us run the business, such as our customer relationship management (CRM) system, email, IT and hosting providers. They can only use your information on our instructions
- Our accountants and professional advisers, where needed to prepare your claim or run the business
- The person who referred you, but only to confirm that you've made a claim, so they can be thanked or paid for the referral
- Regulators, law enforcement or courts, if the law requires us to
Sending information outside the UK
Some of our service providers may store information outside the UK. If they do, we make sure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as UK adequacy regulations or the ICO's approved contract terms.
How long we keep it
- Claim records, including the tax and financial information you give us: seven years after the end of the tax year your claim relates to
- Identity-check records: five years after our relationship with you ends, as the Money Laundering Regulations require
- Applications that don't go ahead: [period to be confirmed]
- Marketing preferences: until you unsubscribe, after which we keep only what we need to make sure we don't contact you again
When we no longer need your information, we delete it securely.
Keeping it safe
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including encrypted connections, access controls and only giving staff access to what they need for their role.
Your rights
You have the right to:
- ask for a copy of the information we hold about you
- ask us to correct anything that's wrong or incomplete
- ask us to delete your information, where we don't need to keep it by law
- ask us to limit how we use it
- object to us using it for our legitimate interests
- ask us to transfer it to you or another organisation
- withdraw your consent to marketing at any time
To use any of these rights, email info@zipp.tax. We'll reply within one month. There's normally no charge.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies that are needed for it to work, such as remembering your progress through the claim form. If we use analytics or advertising cookies, we'll ask for your permission first and you can change your choice at any time.
Children
Our services are for adults. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.
Complaints
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please tell us first at info@zipp.tax. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or on 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on this page, with the date it took effect.
GDPR statement
Our commitment to GDPR compliance
ZippTax is fully committed to compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK Data Protection Act 2018.
Lawful basis for processing
We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:
- Legitimate interest: to pursue tax rebate claims on your behalf
- Contract: to fulfil our services agreement with you
- Legal obligation: to comply with regulatory requirements
- Consent: for marketing communications (where applicable)
Your rights
Under GDPR, you have the following rights:
Right of access (Article 15)
You can request copies of your personal data.
Right to rectification (Article 16)
You can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure (Article 17)
You can request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.
Right to restrict processing (Article 18)
You can request limitation of how we process your data.
Right to data portability (Article 20)
You can request transfer of your data in a structured format.
Right to object (Article 21)
You can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Data retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in our Privacy Policy or as required by law.
International transfers
If we transfer your data outside the UK/EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
Data Protection Officer
For GDPR-related queries, contact our Data Protection Officer:
- Email: info@zipp.tax
- Address: 86 Dark Lane, Romsley, Halesowen, B62 0PJ
Complaints
You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you believe your data protection rights have been violated.
- Website: ico.org.uk
- Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Anti-money laundering
UK Tax Claims Limited is supervised by HMRC under the Money Laundering Regulations.
Registration number
XAML00000209004
To meet these regulations we check your identity before acting for you, and keep evidence that we've done so. See section 10 of our terms for details.