By Linus Rees

BBC Panorama is making a programme to investigate a tax blunder which occurred in January this year and which left many people with the wrong tax codes. The programme is looking for people affected and who may be willing to take part in the programme.

“After July’s report from the National Audit Office on HM Revenue 2009-2010 accounts, BBC Panorama has commissioned a programme: Are You Paying the Right Tax? The report highlighted the 18.2million backlog of cases revealing that around half these cases are likely to involve an underpayment or overpayment of tax and that these may lead to repayments and recoveries in the order of £3 and £1.4 billion,” says Nine Lives Media which is conducting research for the programme.

“Our programme is going to look at how and why so many incorrect tax codes were sent out in January, meet people who were affected, and try to identify groups who might be in for a surprise when correct codes are finally correctly calculated and demands for payments are sent out.

“We are extremely keen to talk to people who have been caught up in this blunder.” said a spokesperson.

The programme will “understand the importance of data confidentiality and we would only ever broadcast details of a particular case if we had full consent of the people involved.

“As well as typical cases of people affected by the tax code errors, we are also interested in hearing of more unusual or extreme cases of lives being affected by HMRC errors.”

If anyone is wiling to take part in the programme, then get in touch with Claire Judge at Nine Lives Media