UK households are facing a race against time to complete their tax returns, with a looming deadline and a tax office phone service described as a game of 'pot luck'.
Automatic Cut-Offs and Mounting Frustration
With the self-assessment deadline of January 31 fast approaching, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is under fire for its customer service. The tax office has been revealed to automatically disconnect callers who have been waiting on hold for 70 minutes. Official figures show that in the 2023-24 period, a staggering 55,922 taxpayers were hung up on by the system.
This failing comes at a critical time, as anyone missing the deadline faces an immediate £100 penalty. The situation has sparked outrage among taxpayers and professionals alike. One frustrated individual posted on HMRC's official X account, stating: “I have tried everything to contact you and speak to a human. It’s impossible and frustrating.”
‘Pot Luck’ to Get Through, Say Accountants
Accountants on the frontline confirm the severity of the problem. Ilyas Patel, an accountant based in Preston, told the Telegraph that his team now routinely experiences hold times of 45 to 60 minutes. “On several occasions the call has simply dropped after an hour, forcing us to start again,” he explained.
Mr Patel attributed the issue to a simple lack of capacity, not poor attitude from staff. “What’s letting the system down is not attitude, but capacity. There are simply not enough people manning the phones for the volume of queries that need resolving,” he said.
This sentiment was echoed by John Hood of accountancy firm Moore Kingston Smith, who bluntly described the experience as “pot luck as to whether you will get to speak to someone or get cut off after 45 minutes.”
Digital Push Leaves Key Gaps
Experts suggest the drive towards Making Tax Digital is shifting resources away from phone support, with no immediate improvement in sight. However, Mr Patel highlighted critical gaps in HMRC's online services that force professionals to use the phone lines. “There are services we need daily that aren’t on the website, such as setting up payroll, enquiries on client tax codes and, pivotally, refunds for our clients,” he stated.
In response to the criticism, an HMRC spokesman defended the service, claiming: “We are successfully answering hundreds of thousands of calls from self-assessment customers this month and overall wait times are down almost 30% on last year.”
The spokesman added: “More customers using our online services to resolve their queries faster means our phoneline advisers can focus on supporting those who need extra help, delivering a better service across all our channels.” Despite this assurance, for thousands of taxpayers facing a hard deadline, getting that 'extra help' remains a matter of chance.
