HMRC SA Helplines

[XFool]

HMRC to close its self-assessment helpline for six months a year

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/mar/19/hmrc-to-close-its-self-assessment-helpline-for-six-months-a-year

Tax office also plans to scale back other helplines, including for VAT and PAYE, in move to ‘online self-service’

"HM Revenue and Customs has caused an outcry after announcing it will close a key helpline for six months a year and scale back other phone lines – weeks after it was criticised for its poor customer service.

One senior MP said the tax office, which has been struggling to cope with demand, leaving users regularly facing long call-waiting times, had now chosen “to essentially close down any avenues for people to contact them over the phone” for sizeable chunks of the year."

Osborne strikes again?

[Lootman]

HMRC to close its self-assessment helpline for six months a year

Osborne strikes again?

As I recall the rot started when HMRC started closing down the local tax offices, where you could just stop by to discuss an issue or pick up some tax forms. And that had started to happen in the 2000s under Labour.

All we can do now is structure our affairs so that you are never owed money by the taxman, as you may never get it.

[kempiejon]

My recent experience of chat bot and online help suggest that closing is a better use of my time than engaging.
I did get answers and have a positive experience using a beta testing version of HMRC online chat back in 2020. In fact it was so good I very uncharacteristically recommended to a couple of people... after it had closed in 2022.

[XFool]

HMRC halts plan to close tax helpline for six months a year

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/mar/20/hmrc-halts-plan-to-close-tax-helpline-for-six-months-a-year

Tax office makes swift U-turn after outcry over self-assessment, VAT and PAYE phone services

"HM Revenue and Customs has been forced into a swift U-turn after an outcry over its plans to close a key helpline for six months a year and scale back other phone services.

Hours after HMRC announced the plans, the head of the tax office said that “following feedback from concerned stakeholders”, the changes to the self-assessment, VAT and PAYE helplines would be halted to allow more discussions to take place.

Orders to abandon the plans for the time being have reportedly come from the very top of government with the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, said to have intervened because of fears that not all taxpayer needs would be met."

[the0ni0nking]

HMRC halts plan to close tax helpline for six months a year

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2024/mar/20/hmrc-halts-plan-to-close-tax-helpline-for-six-months-a-year

Tax office makes swift U-turn after outcry over self-assessment, VAT and PAYE phone services

"HM Revenue and Customs has been forced into a swift U-turn after an outcry over its plans to close a key helpline for six months a year and scale back other phone services.

Hours after HMRC announced the plans, the head of the tax office said that “following feedback from concerned stakeholders”, the changes to the self-assessment, VAT and PAYE helplines would be halted to allow more discussions to take place.

Orders to abandon the plans for the time being have reportedly come from the very top of government with the chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, said to have intervened because of fears that not all taxpayer needs would be met."

You'd have thought that HMRC might have let the Chancellor know that they were going to do close the helpline in advance. Or as I suspect is more likely, they did and the govt thought that's a good idea and so allowed it to happen before now telling them to row back c24 hours later.

Personally, I would close it as I doubt it offers any meaningful advice anymore other than signposting or largely generic guidance available on-line elsewhere. Sooner or later people need to move with the times ........ (ducks for cover in the tin hat)........

[XFool]

You'd have thought that HMRC might have let the Chancellor know that they were going to do close the helpline in advance. Or as I suspect is more likely, they did and the govt thought that's a good idea and so allowed it to happen before now telling them to row back c24 hours later.

Personally, I would close it as I doubt it offers any meaningful advice anymore other than signposting or largely generic guidance available on-line elsewhere.

It would be interesting to have a breakdown of the statistics for the reasons people call the helpline.

I have found, over the years, usually two types of query have cropped up for me over SA:

1. Simple, generic ones. That I can find the answer to myself by reading the notes or looking online

2. Intractable questions that I definitely cannot answer for myself (and with the original case of this, even the then local tax office were unable to answer)

The exception to the above, when I have had to ring HMRC in the past, were 'simple' (but non obvious) questions over quirks in HMRC online SA software. e.g. Like never to enter '0' (zero) in a field that expected 'NUL' (i.e. nothing). I also can't help wondering how many calls now are from puzzled older people (and others) who now have to do SA that never had to in the past.

[the0ni0nking]

I've only had cause to ring up once and having checked my paperwork that was back in 2013.

That was when someone submitted and claimed a refund as me and the first thing I knew about it was when I got a letter from HMRC saying they had processed the c£2.5k refund due. When I spoke to them, I told them I'd not submitted a return or done anything else about my SA for the year in question. They simply deleted the return, sent new log-in details through the post and I then submitted my actual return. I've no idea which element of the helpline it was but I suspect fraud isn't dealt with through the generic SA helpline.

Aside from that, I've not had cause to speak to them but that may well be because I'm a chartered accountant (non-practicing) so think I'm starting from a degree of understanding better than the next person and also able to interpret some of the guidance more easily because of involvement I've had in a work capacity in a couple of Tribunal decisions with them around VAT.

What that does also mean is that my now elderly parents both come to me around their tax returns - as both of them are now caught in the SA game - and so they also avoid any inter-action with HMRC as I would deal with it.

[JohnB]

All my interactions with hmrc are now raised as paper formal complaints. If they won't help, I can certainly complain

[Lootman]

Aside from that, I've not had cause to speak to them but that may well be because I'm a chartered accountant (non-practicing) so think I'm starting from a degree of understanding better than the next person and also able to interpret some of the guidance more easily because of involvement I've had in a work capacity in a couple of Tribunal decisions with them around VAT..

Don't tax preparers have a special "priority" phone number for contacting HMRC? I seem to recall my accountant telling me that.

Also isn't it possible that your own returns are scrutinised less precisely because you are an accountant, and you would have too much to lose by not being impeccable with your own returns?

[1nvest]

The efficiencies of working from home, where they're objecting and threatening to strike over requests that they go into the office for 2 days/week. Fine, let them stay at home full-time, minus pay, and employ others who are prepared to do some office work such as answering phones.

[the0ni0nking]

Don't tax preparers have a special "priority" phone number for contacting HMRC? I seem to recall my accountant telling me that.

I understand you can apply to be what is classed as a professional tax agent with HMRC (title may be slightly wrong) which gives you certain additional tax related "powers" within the Government Gateway but I do not hold that status so can't comment.

It wouldn't surprise me if they are provided with a different phone number but as to whether that is to sort out "IT" related issues due to their status or to ask questions of a technical tax nature I have no idea. I'd suspect it is the former but if that then gets you through quicker to a helpful real person then I guess there is more chance of them transferring you to the right team to answer the query. As to whether that transfer would be quicker than going direct via whatever other phone number, I've no idea.

If they don't currently pay for that service - then that's an additional option for future governments to look at introducing to raise some tinpot amount of revenue - albeit as with all these things it'd just get passed on the client using the tax agents services.

Also isn't it possible that your own returns are scrutinised less precisely because you are an accountant, and you would have too much to lose by not being impeccable with your own returns?

Nowhere on the tax return do you declare your job or professional qualifications - I just scrolled through my FY23 tax return and I don't think there is anyway for them to identify that. The PAYE tax code you input in the Employment pages relates to the PAYE code of your employer rather than you so isn't a unique identifier.

I guess they could have been told by other sources but even in the elements related to directorships and associated notes, that is free text and all I state in there is that I'm a director with no further specification as to my role.

If they were to look at CoHo on some of my previous directorships they'd see a position stated as Finance Director but that doesn't mean I'm necessarily a qualified accountant and nor would I expect them to do any material cross checking of CoHo other than to check directorships were declared (not that that has any meaningful tax implications). They could also search on my accountancy body's website and they'd see someone who exists with my exact full name but that public register doesn't give date of birth etc so no guarantee it's the same person.

[genou]

The PAYE tax code you input in the Employment pages relates to the PAYE code of your employer rather than you so isn't a unique identifier.

Indeed, but if your employer is an accountant/ tax advisor, it gives a clue. If you are self-employed, your 41G ( or whatever that has morphed into ) will disclose what your business is.

I sincerely doubt any occupation gets you a "pass" on return inspection ( although to be fair, I never saw a Minister of Religion return ) . It used to be that cash based businesses were looked at harder, but that was long ago.