RIFT Customer Stories - Sarah

Key details have changed for anonymity and representation

Sarah had been a military wife to Michael for over twenty years. Her husband handled their finances and admin, and she handled everything else, including raising their children.

When Michael passed away unexpectedly, Sarah was faced with the enormity of forging forward into their new way of life, and the admin understandably fell by the wayside. It felt overwhelming and unimportant when faced with finding new living arrangements and navigating her two children through their grief.

The problem

Letters from HMRC began arriving. Some referenced previous tax years, others mentioned adjustments and figures she didn’t understand. She didn’t know what was outstanding, what had been filed, or whether anything was wrong.

There were multiple years to review, and because the claim involved bereavement, additional documentation was required, including probate details and confirmation of authority.

What happened next

Sarah reached out to RIFT for guidance, and was connected with Kiera one of our customer support team leaders. Rather than pushing the process forward quickly Kiera slowed everything down. On their initial call, she explained in plain language:

What a tax return actually is
Why the letters had been sent
What would happen next

Sarah was assigned one consistent point of contact so she wouldn’t have to retell her story. From there, a penalty appeal was drafted by RIFT, outlining bereavement as a reasonable excuse for delayed submissions.

How RIFT helped

Took ownership of HMRC communication
Submitted outstanding returns
Successfully appealed penalties
Allowed extended timeframes for documentation

The outcome

Penalties were reduced significantly. More importantly, Sarah was supported through a challenging time with compassion and understanding, making this one less thing to worry about.