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Where Taxpayers and Advisers Meet

HMRC telephone recorded messages

etf
Posts:1278
Joined:Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:25 pm
Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby etf » Tue Jan 19, 2021 9:58 am

-160/10 service.

Still nothing. I've initiated a third complaint and have copied this thread to Jim Harra for him to comment on.

etf
Posts:1278
Joined:Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:25 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby etf » Tue Jan 19, 2021 10:36 am

I have to agree with Jason in his article below. A 30 minute wait on some days has been a very good result-as seen on my thread 45 minute waits are not unusual.

HMRC helplines
But with the self assessment deadline falling on a Sunday, Izza called on Harra to open HMRC helplines for the last two weekends of January and to restore agent’s priority access.

“[ICAEW] members are finding it much harder to contact HMRC to resolve tax return related queries and we are hearing reports of members waiting for over half an hour to get through to HMRC,” wrote Izza.

Trouble getting through to HMRC helplines is proving to be a headache for AccountingWEB readers. AccountingWEB contributor Jason Croke said on Any Answers, “Anything to do with VAT registrations, VAT returns, letters and emails just ignored, phones not answering, the registration team message cuts you off after telling you they can't take messages.”

AccountingWEB readers shared similar helpline horror stories from the past few months. Any Answers regular NH, for example, is currently trying to get a response from an inspector on a VAT refund enquiry who stopped answering the phone or emails for two months.

After taking three months to get an SDLT refund, Croke thinks Izza’s letter should go further and not just focus on the January year-ends. “The whole of HMRC is not fit for purpose at present,” he said.

bd6759
Posts:4262
Joined:Sat Feb 01, 2014 3:26 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby bd6759 » Tue Jan 19, 2021 6:04 pm

Another multi-page thread where ETF is the only contributor. HMRC are not the only ones that don’t want to reply to him!

etf
Posts:1278
Joined:Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:25 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby etf » Wed Jan 20, 2021 12:06 pm

If you think the service HMRC is currently providing is adequate then please argue that point, but please don't try and stop me raising my concerns with comments like your last. If you read the attached link you will see perhaps you are the individual who is out of touch with the reality of the situation.

https://www.accountingweb.co.uk/tax/hmrc-policy/hmrc-help-for-tax-agents-falls-short?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=AWUKPOW200121&utm_content=AWUKPOW200121+CID_72ed445f406b11e622068709514071da&utm_source=internal_cm&utm_term=Read%20more

etf
Posts:1278
Joined:Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:25 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby etf » Mon Jan 25, 2021 3:49 pm

Today HMRC has announced that Self Assessment customers will not receive a penalty for filing their 2019-20 tax return late, as long as they file online by 28 February. We are still encouraging customers who have not yet filed to do so by 31 January, if possible.
Customers still need to pay their Self Assessment tax bill by 31 January. Interest will be charged from 1 February on any outstanding liabilities. Customers can pay online, or through their bank, or by post before they file.
If any customer cannot afford to pay by 31 January, they may be able to set up an affordable plan and pay in monthly instalments. But they will need to file their 2019-20 tax return before setting up a time to pay arrangement.


I'm sure the issues HMRC has been experiencing in dealing with the public must have played a part in the above decision. Over 50 mins wait to have the phone answered by one district after loads of cut off/call back later messages at the start of this week (only one person answering the phones). Another belated win for common sense.

etf
Posts:1278
Joined:Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:25 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby etf » Mon Feb 01, 2021 2:02 pm

As an update to this, I never did receive any responses to the complaint procedures that were initiated. However, I have spoken to someone senior in the department I orginally wanted to speak to. They admitted things had gone badly wrong, and have promised to look at my query which is all I ever wanted to happen. In the 1980s this would never have happened, I'd have had the telephone number for a particular district and would have been able to pursue that number and probably the same person for a reply. Today you end up telling the same story to countless individuals after very long telephone waits (if you are lucky enough to make the queue) with often sub-standard results and in this example it took nearly 2 months to make real progress.

AGoodman
Posts:1738
Joined:Fri May 16, 2014 3:47 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby AGoodman » Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:08 pm

I'm posting just to add that HMRC are not alone (and so that ETF is not alone)

The tribunals webchat left me hanging till i went for dinner, then presumably popped up and timed out over dessert.

etf
Posts:1278
Joined:Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:25 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby etf » Wed Feb 10, 2021 4:56 pm

AGoodman,

Very thoughtful of you to post your own experience. I was pretty sure I wasn't alone and I do believe it is helpful to post both good and bad HMRC experiences which people encounter (and perhaps for Taxationweb's editorial team to follow up where they believe the system will benefit from a spotlight being shone on a particular area).

As a postscript to my story, HMRC's Jade and Rufus provided an excellent conclusion; my problem was it took nearly 2 months to find them. Calls were taking so long to be answered, I'd often forget what I'd called about when a voice eventually emerged from the music.

KR

etf

etf
Posts:1278
Joined:Mon Nov 02, 2009 5:25 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby etf » Fri Jun 11, 2021 2:01 pm

Sorry bd6759, I couldn't resist. Do you want to play the part of Koepka or De Chambeau?
Another multi-page thread where ETF is the only contributor. HMRC are not the only ones that don’t want to reply to him!
Seems there is only one individual on his own now; even HMRC has acknowledged there have been problems.

We have strived to maintain our levels of customer service but acknowledge that we have not been able to offer the level of service that we would like, particularly on the Agent Dedicated Line.

robbob
Posts:3228
Joined:Wed Aug 06, 2008 4:01 pm

Re: HMRC telephone recorded messages

Postby robbob » Fri Jun 11, 2021 5:30 pm

Sorry bd6759, I couldn't resist. Do you want to play the part of Koepka or De Chambeau?
seems pretty obvious you are De Chambeau ETF and bd6759 is is Koepka - now where is my free crate of beer - oh i need to do a nice little heckle first - HMRC ARE ON HOLIDAY ETF AND THEY WONT ANSWER YOUR CRIES - there ya go that should qualify me.


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