HMRC cuts could leave helpline callers facing longer waits
Longer waiting times could lead to more tax return mistakes, with potentially serious reprucussions
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Your support makes all the difference.Getting on the phone early in the day on the way to work, or at noon are the best times to get through to HM Revenue and Customs, according to new research.
But there are still concerns regarding HMRC’s capacity to deal with peak time call traffic, despite improvements being made.
PfP - which insures individuals and business against the costs of tax probes - analysed internal HMRC data on call waiting times in the first four months of 2016.
On average it took just four-and-a-half minutes to get through to an advisor for those who phoned between the hours of 8:30am and 9:30am, or between noon and 12:30pm.
The worst time to call was between 4:30pm and 5pm when average waiting times run to 12 minutes, with some callers having to hold for up to 25 minutes before being connected to an advisor.
Call-answering performance by HMRC has been a topic of controversy over the past year, having come in for particular criticism from several public spending watchdogs.
Last month, MPs on the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee warned that further planned cuts would leave the service in an even worse situation.
HMRC recruited 2,400 new helpline staff at the end of 2015 to ease the effects of the previous round of cuts which saw self-assessment helpline callers waiting an average of 47 minutes in the lead-up to the October deadline.
HMRC have branded the MPs report “inaccurate and out of date” because it was now offering its best service “in years”, with an average wait time of five minutes.
PfP warned long waiting times raise the risk of errors because people hang up, while cuts still mean helplines are understaffed at peak times.
PfP managing director Kevin Igoe said: “There is a real concern that taxpayers will make mistakes on their tax return if they can’t get hold of HMRC, which could lead to serious consequences.
“Taxpayers understandably want to contact HMRC when it is most convenient for them, but this is likely to be at those peak times when call waiting times can reach over 20 minutes.
“Tax returns can be complex for individuals, so it’s important they have access to advice and guidance from a professional.
“For those taxpayers already in disputes with HMRC, difficulties contacting the Revenue will be an additional worry.
“As HMRC continue to crack down on the underpayment of tax, they in addition need to ensure they provide sufficient quality customer service to deal with the subsequent queries from taxpayers.”
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