Nigerian Lady who Left UK in 2024 Receives £1,599 Tax Refund a Year Later, Shares Evidence With Joy
- Omar Erika, a Nigerian woman who relocated from the UK in 2024, logged into her HMRC account and discovered a tax refund notification that had been sitting unread since June 2025
- The refund of £1,599.08 (N2.9 million) had been waiting for over a year before she finally claimed it, prompting her to urge others who worked in the UK to check their accounts
- Her Facebook post comparing the UK's tax system to Nigeria's sparked mixed reactions from her followers, with people hailing the UK system
Omar Erika, a Nigerian woman who left the United Kingdom in 2024, has displayed the unexpected windfall she stumbled upon after logging into her His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) account and finding a tax refund of £1,599.08 (N2.9 million) that had been waiting for her since June 2025.
HMRC is the UK government agency responsible for collecting taxes and administering tax refunds. When a worker pays more income tax than they owe in a given year, HMRC calculates the difference and issues a refund, which the taxpayer must claim through their online account.
Source: Facebook
Tax refund: Omar Erika's surprise discovery
Posting on Facebook on Thursday, 9 July 2026, Erika shared a screenshot of her HMRC account showing the pending refund notification dated 8 June 2025. She had only logged in to check something unrelated and stumbled upon the message by chance, nearly a full year after it was sent.
Omar used the moment to praise the reliability of British government systems while drawing a pointed, humorous contrast with Nigeria, joking that back home, someone might have already tried to claim the refund on her behalf.
She also encouraged anyone who has previously worked in the UK to check their HMRC accounts for unclaimed refunds.
In her own words, she wrote:
"People of God… I logged into my HMRC account today because I needed to check something. Mind you, I left the UK in 2024. As I was looking through my messages, I found one that had been sitting there since June 8, 2025, saying I had overpaid my tax and HMRC owed me £1599.08.
"Y'all… I've just claimed my refund ONE YEAR LATER! I can't lie, one thing I really admire about the UK is how their systems work. Imagine finding money that had been waiting for you for over a year. If this had happened in Nigeria… I don't know o. Some people would have already claimed to be my next of kin. Anyway, if you've ever worked in the UK, go and check your HMRC account. You might have money waiting for you too!"
Lady's tax refund amount stirs reactions
Legit.ng has compiled some reactions to the lady's tax refund below:
Anita Oyeogbe said:
"So true, checked mine 2 weeks ago and found a £605 tax refund, I was overtaxed as a student."
Promise Mathias said:
"This is a system founded in integrity, Nigeria can't relate but shaa gimme me small pounds make I use see front."
Blessing Mary Ocheido said:
"I have never checked mine and don’t even know how it works. I have worked for the same organisation since I came (haven’t switched jobs) and don’t do overtime or additional work so I don’t even think I will see any refund."
In a related story, Legit.ng reported that a UK-based lady who earned N174.1 million had shown how much tax she paid.
Nigerian doctor in UK mentions salary
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that a Nigerian doctor in the UK had mentioned her salary after tax deductions.
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The payslip showed how much she received as her monthly net salary after tax and other deductions.
She gave a breakdown of how she budgeted her monthly salary.
Source: Legit.ng
