Guess Who’s Not Answering? The HMRC Helpline Adventures
HMRC’s seven-week service reduction
During the busiest period of the tax year, HMRC plans to significantly reduce access to its self-assessment helpline, focusing only on complex queries from Monday, 11th December 2023.
HMRC has unexpectedly confirmed that from 11th December until 31st January, most callers to the self-assessment helpline will be redirected to online services, with taxpayers advised to seek answers to their queries about tax returns online.
Call centre advisers at HMRC will concentrate on answering ‘priority queries’ identified as challenging to address online and assisting a small number of callers who need additional support or cannot use online services.
HMRC has not clarified the method for ranking and handling these priority calls during this time.
This abrupt announcement, given with just four days’ notice, follows a sudden three-month closure of HMRC helplines over the summer and a decision to cut helplines by 30% by the end of 2024 to reallocate staff to other departments within HMRC.
In the corresponding period last year, HMRC received 1.2 million calls, accounting for over one-fifth of its total calls in 12 months.
This reduction in service will impact accountants and tax advisers, who will be encouraged to use online services rather than relying on the agent’s dedicated line for problem resolution.
HMRC stated: ‘Agents who call the ADL and whose queries are not specifically related to SA filing, payments or repayments, including agents with multiple client queries, will be redirected to alternative channels or asked to call back in February.
‘During SA peak, ADL will not be dealing with any PAYE-related calls, however we know that many queries can be resolved quickly and easily online. We encourage agents to consider using tools such as the ‘Income Record Viewer’ or the Where’s my reply tool before contacting us.’
Reaction from the accounting profession
Accountants and tax advisers have heavily criticised this decision.
John Barnett, chair of CIOT’s technical policy and oversight committee, remarked: ‘Reducing access to HMRC’s self-assessment helpline is misguided. While we understand HMRC’s desire to prioritise where it puts its limited resources, we are concerned that in practice many of their customers will be unable to navigate HMRC’s digital services, and will simply give up. Previous trials to limit calls to complex queries, or diverting people to online services, have proven either troublesome or inconclusive.’
Glenn Collins, head of strategic and technical engagement at ACCA, labelled HMRC’s service as ‘unacceptably poor’.
‘The dramatically reduced service will be a worry for taxpayers and financial professionals alike,’ said Collins. ‘At a time when queries around self assessment go up significantly, this move by HMRC once again demonstrates it lacks the proper resources that it desperately needs.
‘ACCA has repeatedly called on the UK government to make significant improvements to the HMRC services, including the availability of HMRC agents to resolve basic issues which is currently not being achieved using the current HMRC online services.
‘We stand by our previous statement whereby we referred to HMRC as having unacceptably poor service. The difficulties experienced by accountants in working with HMRC cannot be overstated, and the reduced service offered by the helplines will surely only further exacerbate poor service levels and cause more frustrations at one of the busiest times of the year.’
Criticism by the Treasury Committee
The influential Treasury Committee also criticised the decision, particularly the lack of notice about the service reduction.
Harriett Baldwin, Chair of the Treasury Committee, stated: ‘Giving the public less than two working days’ notice of a significant reduction in service, while the deadline for self assessment returns looms, is yet another alarming development for an increasingly pressured government service. I have written to the CEO of HMRC in order to get much-needed answers about what this means for taxpayers’
HMRC’s response
HMRC refutes any criticism of the helpline downgrade. CEO Jim Harra informed MPs on the Treasury Committee that the tax authority is fully committed to transitioning to a digital-only approach.
He mentioned that a large portion of the calls to the helpline are for trivial requests and noted, ‘about two-thirds of calls to the SA helpline can be resolved more quickly through HMRC’s online services. To inform all SA callers of the department’s extensive online services, recorded messages supported by SMS texts will be used.’
Nevertheless, recent statistics reveal that nearly one in five taxpayers are dissatisfied with HMRC’s online services, and complex queries are challenging to resolve online. HMRC acknowledged that most calls concern basic questions that can be quickly addressed online, such as updating personal information, monitoring the progress of a registration, and checking a Unique Taxpayer Reference number.
Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s deputy chief executive, said: ‘This is a busy time for customers who want to get their taxes sorted. We want to help customers resolve any issues in the quickest and easiest way, which is often through our online services.
‘The vast majority of self assessment customers file their returns digitally, so we’re helping them make the next step to resolving simpler queries through our online services.
‘Our expert advisers will be there to help people with urgent and more complicated queries as well as helping the small number who are unable to access our online services.’
Services on the Agent Dedicated Line will mirror the self-assessment offer, with agents being guided towards digital services for appropriate enquiries.
As HMRC shifts towards a digital-first strategy, it emphasises its commitment to enhancing and broadening its online services. The aim is to augment their functionality and user-friendliness, making them the primary choice for customers.
For assistance with completing their returns for the 2022 to 2023 tax year before the 31 January 2024 deadline, taxpayers are encouraged to utilise HMRC’s online support. It’s noteworthy that over 97% of self-assessment taxpayers already submit their tax returns digitally.
Extra Funding Misdirected?
The recent limitation of helplines is likely due to HMRC being critically short of resources. The Autumn Statement brought hope when the Chancellor hinted at additional funding for HMRC. Many of us perked up, optimistically thinking that much-needed extra funding might be directed towards improving the struggling customer service. However, we were mistaken. The Green Book’s details showed that the £163 million investment is exclusively earmarked for debt management, including adding 700 full-time employees to HMRC’s debt management team.
Following the Autumn Statement, when asked about the absence of funding for enhancing HMRC’s services, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt insisted that the tax authority could achieve their customer service goals with their existing resources.
However, the recent reduction in services suggests the contrary.
We’re on your side
At Mercian Accountants, we understand the concerns raised by HMRC’s recent announcement regarding helpline access. However, we want to reassure our clients that you don’t need to worry. Our dedicated team is well-prepared to navigate these changes and provide the support you need for your self-assessment tax returns.
We are equipped with the expertise and resources to assist you through every step of the process, ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience. If you have any questions or require assistance with your tax returns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Let’s work together to ensure your tax affairs are in order, well ahead of the 31st January 2024 deadline. Act now and contact us to secure your peace of mind during this tax season.
Rest assured, we’ll always take your call.
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