TaxAssist calls for more HMRC support for taxpayers

TaxAssist Accountants has launched a petition for more investment in HMRC services after HMRC announced that it is closing its self-assessment tax helpline for three months.

HMRC has closed its self-assessment helpline until 4 September so it can “trial directing SA queries from the helpline to the department’s digital services, including its online guidance, digital assistant and webchat”.

There have also been reports of severe delays affecting individuals and businesses and stories of repayment claims taking upwards of several months to be processed because of underinvestment.

TaxAssist said for urgent enquiries, taxpayers and accountants sometimes have to wait for over an hour to speak to an HMRC adviser, if they are not cut off beforehand.

Andy Gibbs, head of group technical at TaxAssist, said: “Such delays are unacceptable as they impact on many of our clients, who are frustrated by HMRC hold ups. Despite MPs promising to look into this, we hope our petition will prompt them to debate HMRC’s resources and help find a viable solution to help taxpayers and, in turn, the UK’s economy.

“While HMRC did a sterling job delivering the Covid support schemes, it is now grappling with poor customer service levels and faces significant challenges implementing a much-needed switch to digital tax solutions.”

He added: “The HMRC service dashboard and improvements to the ‘where’s my reply’ service are steps in the right direction but members of the public and accountants face challenges and need HMRC to invest in customer service provision.

“The three-month closure of the self-assessment helpline will further inconvenience individual taxpayers and it is not clear how digitally excluded taxpayers will be able to resolve tax queries following this damaging move.”