Can HMRC or any tax authority accept payment by retail voucher or gift card?
No. No legitimate tax authority anywhere accepts retail vouchers or gift cards as payment. This demand is universally fraudulent.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
Tax authorities accept payment exclusively through official government payment portals, bank transfers to designated government accounts, cheques payable to the relevant authority, and sometimes in-person cash at authorised payment points. The specific methods vary by country but consistently exclude retail gift cards, iTunes codes, Google Play vouchers, or any retail voucher.
The mechanics explain why: gift card payments are instantly accessible, untraceable, and irreversible. They are the preferred payment method for criminals across many fraud types precisely because recovery is essentially impossible once codes are shared. Any organisation demanding this payment method is operating outside legitimate financial channels.
This script is used globally. In the US it is often attributed to IRS impersonators, in the UK to HMRC, in Australia to the ATO. The script adapts to local conditions but the core elements — tax debt, threat of immediate consequences, and gift card payment — remain consistent.
If you are ever unsure whether a tax demand is genuine, the single most reliable check is to log into your official tax account and look for any corresponding record of the debt. Genuine debts have paper trails.
Common red flags
- Caller demands payment of a tax debt by retail gift card
- Specific card types requested such as iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon
- Told to buy cards at a pharmacy, supermarket, or convenience store
- Caller stays on the line while you purchase and read out the codes
- Threatens arrest or legal action if you do not comply immediately
- Cannot confirm the debt through your official tax account
What to do now
- Refuse and hang up — do not purchase any gift cards
- If you are already at the store, tell the cashier — many are trained to intervene
- Log into your official tax account to verify whether any debt exists
- Report the call to the tax authority's fraud hotline
- Report to your national consumer protection or fraud authority
- If you already sent codes, report to the gift card retailer and your local police
Frequently asked questions
Why do scammers specifically want gift cards?
Gift card codes convert to untraceable value instantly. They can be used online immediately after the code is received, cannot be reversed by a bank, and are difficult for law enforcement to trace internationally.
Can the gift card codes be recovered after they have been used?
Generally no, once the codes are redeemed. Report to the card retailer immediately if the codes have not yet been used — some issuers can freeze the balance. Report to police and fraud authorities regardless of outcome.