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Guidance

Get help with a tax issue as a public body

Get help with a tax issue if you're a public body by reading guidance and manuals, or filling in the public body queries form.

Who can get help

You can get support from HMRC’s Public Bodies Group if you are a public body and have a tax issue. A public body is a formally established organisation that is funded to deliver a government or public service. Public bodies include:

  • NHS
  • government departments
  • police
  • fire and rescue service
  • housing associations
  • local authorities
  • higher education institutions
  • further education institutions
  • political parties
  • trade unions 
  • trade or membership associations
  • worshipful companies (livery companies)
  • guilds

Before you start

Before you contact HMRC, read guidance and manuals that can help public bodies with tax issues.

You can use the public body queries form to:

  • raise processing issues, such as issues with repayments or filing returns
  • raise tax technical issues
  • request a non-statutory clearance from HMRC

You should request a non-statutory clearance by raising a tax technical issue. Find out about the non-statutory clearance process, including when HMRC will give a clearance.

To fill in the public body queries form, you will need information such as:

  • the details of your query
  • the details of how you think your query can be resolved
  • any supporting evidence you have
  • your organisation’s tax reference (such as their Corporation Tax number, PAYE reference or VAT registration number)

Fill in the public body queries form

To use this form, you’ll need to:

  1. Get all of your information together before you start. You will fill this form in online and you cannot save your progress.

  2. Start your query online.

  3. Send the form to HMRC in an email or by post (the email or postal address is at the end of the form).

Updates to this page

Published 14 October 2024
Last updated 29 July 2026 Show all updates
  1. Information has been added to the 'Who can get help' section to clarify who can get support from HMRC's Public Bodies Group. The 'Before you start' section has been added to give information on what to do before contacting HMRC and when to use the public body queries form. The 'Fill in the public body queries form' section has been added to give more information on how to fill in the form.

  2. First published.

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