HMRC-is it time to call the Army in?

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Why are there unprocessed 2022/23 tax returns submitted in December 2023 if the below is correct? Please regulators ask Jim that question (surely no post should be left unanswered for longer than 2 months based on that statistic)...unless Jim just chases statistics and treats a cohort of taxpayers sooooooooooooooooo unfairly.


While HMRC has improved its handling of correspondence, with 76.3% dealt with within 15 working days (up from 72.7%), this still falls short of its 80% target.

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HMRC's Hammer House of Harra fails to get on the podium (but don't worry...they think they are world class ):


The HMRC Charter annual report,1 published yesterday, includes a report from the Charter Stakeholder Group,2 on which CIOT is represented. It includes the findings of a survey carried out earlier this year on whether tax agents and taxpayers believe HMRC are meeting their Charter standards.

The survey received nearly 1,650 responses, with complaints about service levels a recurring theme. It found that:

“Being responsive” scored the lowest of the Charter standards, with an average score of just 2.4 out of 10

“Making things easy” and “getting things right” also scored poorly, at 2.8 and 3.5 respectively

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Hammer House of Harra-episode 995

It is generally accepted that if HMRC was properly manned with experienced, fully trained investigative staff, the low-hanging fruit would bring in billions. Further, the deterrent effect would mean that UK plc was considerably richer going forwards.

In the past few days, the media has concentrated on a single area of HMRC’s annual report in which the department (which has a natural tendency to underestimate losses through inefficiency) estimates that fraud and error relating to research and development (R&D) tax claims has totalled £4.1bn in the past four years.

Over that period the sums involved ran at somewhere in the region of 15% of all sums paid, although they inexplicably reduced last year. Perhaps a recount is required?

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LABOUR ISN'T WORKING!

HMRC Hammer House of Harra episode 996

Seemingly still nobody has asked Sir Jim why HMRC deal with post received last Thursday before submissions made last December (8 1/2 months ago). Idiotic and totally unfair management procedures encouraged by the diplodocuses who set goals that encourage this state of affairs.

When will the regulators ask Sir Jim this question?

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If I was Keir I would poach Next's Customer Service Executive and let them loose in HMRC. No holding in a queue (they call you back and in under 5 minutes) and the people you speak to are informed and a delight.

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Headline:

HMRC’s failings let family dodge £600k IHT bill
An appeal involving a deathbed tax planning scheme should have failed, but the tribunal was forced to find in favour of the taxpayers because of HMRC’s procedural failings.

Comment:

By Rob Swan
28th Aug 2024 08:03
HMRC is a mess!

Many who deal with them occasionally and most (it seems) who deal with them regularly are well aware of this and, IMHO... No surprise!

Listening to a recent ICAEW podcast (I know!), the Probate Registry are also in a similar mess - replace people with (shiny new) IT system - which doesn't work, reduce skilled staff, increase poorly skilled staff, etc.

Seems to me this is a trend across Government - replace skilled personnel with incomplete IT systems which don't work.

What could possibly go wrong?

Further observations:

King Charles' goffer who recommended he give Hammer House of Harra a knighthood is getting to look stupider by the day....and he looked bloody idiotic on day 1.

And what have Labour done to bring about promised change? viz 2022/23 tax returns filed 9 months ago still not processed.

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My real-life experience suggests the Hammer House of Harra delay for HMRC processing 2022/23 tax returns requiring a human is 9 months. Suspect that will not show up in HMRC's performance statistics.

PS Having praised my recent customer service experience at Next, I am less pleased with Yodel. Their messaging staff are armed with a plethora of prepared paragraphs none of which answer the question you have asked. Would not be surprised to be told someone has knicked my golf clubs seemingly missing in action from their tracking system. Perhaps an employer for Sir Jim to consider when those in power work out 2/10 is not a good rating for HMRC to be given, but seemingly a perfect fit for the courier firm.

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My parcel's journey

+
31/08/24
20:11
Despatched from GATESHEAD DEPOT

Point 1: if anyone sees Brendan Foster playing with a set of TaylorMade irons please can they alert me

Point 2: The preferred spelling is "dispatch" in modern English, while "despatch" is an alternative spelling that was more common in the 19th century and earlier.

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HMRC post statistics are so bloody mis-leading .....for a TV producer looking for the next Post Office theme drama look no further than the basket case that is HMRC. And all because Sir Harra & Co are diverting resources to MTD4IT which is hugely over budget and will not improve current reporting....and it will create chaos when introduced....Rachel this will happen on your watch. You have been warned!

PS are you warm enough this morning?


By songb1rd
11th Sep 2024 13:40
I write to HMRC early March, was told in late April that it would be dealt with by the end of August, and a couple of weeks ago was told that I'd receive a reply by 7 October...


Replying to songb1rd:
Rob Swan
By Rob Swan
11th Sep 2024 14:00
7 October? How could they know?
I'm guessing you'll be calling again on 8/Oct. And again..... And again....
Dysfunctional doesn't even come close.



Replying to Rob Swan:
avatar
By Open all hours
11th Sep 2024 15:40
I have a 57 weeks old correspondence re a simple VAT question.
They have asked supplementary question at regular 13 week intervals so there must be some sort of schedule.
One of the questions was ‘What was the turnover in the year before the business was formed?’