Terms of Service

1. About these terms

These terms apply when you use the website at familyrefund.com (the “site”) and our services. The site is run by Harbour Tax Refunds Ltd trading as FamilyRefund (“we”, “us”), registered in England and Wales (company number 99759437), registered office Manchester, UK. Contact us at hello@familyrefund.com.

We are registered with HMRC as a tax repayment agent (registration XARN5532455). We are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and we do not give financial or investment advice.

2. Our services

2.1 The free check

Our online check estimates which government schemes your family may be entitled to and what they could be worth. The estimate uses published maximum amounts and the information you give us. It is an estimate, not a guarantee: entitlement and amounts are decided by HMRC, the Department for Education or your local authority, not by us.

2.2 The claims service (optional)

If you ask us to, we will:

• review your circumstances with you, including whether a claim could affect other benefits (such as Universal Credit);
• help you set up Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours free childcare;
• prepare and submit claims such as Marriage Allowance (including backdated years), income tax refunds and Child Benefit; and
• deal with HMRC on your behalf and keep you updated.

The contract for the claims service starts when you confirm, in writing (including by email), that you want us to act for you and you have signed any authority HMRC needs (for example form 64-8).

3. You can do this yourself for free

Every scheme we help with can be applied for directly and free of charge on GOV.UK. You do not need to use a paid service. We exist for people who'd prefer us to check everything and handle the paperwork.

4. Who can use our services

You must be 18 or over and live in England. You must give us information that is true, complete and up to date, and only give us information about your children and partner that you are entitled to share. Tell us promptly if anything changes.

5. Fees

• Free check and report: free.
• Setting up Tax-Free Childcare and 30 hours: free.
• Money we recover for you: 15% (plus VAT) of the amount recovered as a result of our work — for example a Marriage Allowance refund, an income tax refund or backdated Child Benefit. Minimum fee: £9.99.
• If we don't recover anything, you pay nothing.

HMRC pays refunds directly to you. When the money arrives we will send you an invoice showing how the fee was calculated, payable within 14 days. We will tell you the expected fee in writing before we submit any claim.

6. Your right to cancel

Under the Consumer Contracts (Information, Cancellation and Additional Charges) Regulations 2013 you can cancel the claims service within 14 days of entering into it, for any reason, by emailing hello@familyrefund.com. If you cancel before we have submitted a claim, you pay nothing. If you ask us to submit a claim within the 14 days and then cancel, you may have to pay a proportionate fee for work already done, and only if money is recovered as a result. After 14 days you can still stop using our service at any time; fees remain payable only on claims we had already submitted.

7. Our responsibilities

We will provide our services with reasonable care and skill, as required by the Consumer Rights Act 2015, and keep your information safe as set out in our Privacy Policy. We are not responsible for decisions made by HMRC or other government bodies, or for delays they cause, or for losses caused by information you gave us that was wrong or incomplete.

Nothing in these terms limits our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot be limited by law, and nothing affects your statutory rights as a consumer.

8. Your responsibilities

• Give us accurate information and the documents we ask for.
• Reconfirm your childcare account details every 3 months when the Childcare Service asks you to.
• Tell HMRC about changes in your circumstances (we can help).
• Never send us passwords or bank login details — we will never ask for them.

9. Complaints

If you're unhappy, email complaints@familyrefund.com. We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 working days and aim to resolve it within 4 weeks; we will send a final response within 8 weeks at the latest. If you're still unhappy you can take your claim to court. For complaints about how HMRC handled a claim, we can help you complain to HMRC.

10. The website

We try to keep the site accurate and available but can't guarantee it will always be error-free or uninterrupted. Information on the site is general and isn't advice for your particular circumstances. You must not misuse the site, for example by submitting false information, attempting to gain unauthorised access, or using automated tools to submit forms.

11. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. The version that applies is the one shown when you entered into the contract, unless the law requires otherwise.

12. Law and courts

These terms are governed by the law of England and Wales. You can bring proceedings in the courts of England and Wales; if you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland you can also bring proceedings in your local courts.