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Emma Selby *Flexspace Operator* posted an update
11 months ago (edited)
Thoughts?!
HMRC are increasing the number of compliance and enforcement staff by 5,500 in 2025 but making cuts in other departments, ie admin, customer service, of up to £1.5 million. Can’t imagine this being good for small business, one way or another?
‘Collectively, UK taxpayers spent more than 719 years on hold with HMRC in the year ending June 30, 2024. This staggering figure highlights the systemic issues within HMRC’s customer service operations’. Not looking to improve this, then!
I expect a lot of the muddles people find themselves in are as a result of poor responsiveness from HMRC and not getting advice they need when they need it ,so perhaps the investment in extra staff would be better made in improving customer service? Then we might not need so much enforcement? I think most business owners genuinely want to keep on the right side of all of this but sometimes get a bit lost in admin and need help ? Interested in opinions
Emma Selby *Flexspace Operator* and Rob Fryer2 Comments-
I certainly agree with your comments on this ! As a tax professional , I have found that communication with HMRC, has become more and more difficult and time consuming over the years. I have had the benefit of being able to use the “Agents’ dedicated hotline” to contact HMRC , but even waiting times for that are getting longer . I have heard stories of taxpayers using the normal helplines waiting for long periods in queues and having to give up in frustration. Not good “customer” service !
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Yeah I agree, I had to deal with them at the end of last year. It was a nightmare to get through to anyone and when I did I was simply referred to the website – which in fairness took much less time and was very straight forward to sort in the end, so should have just started there. Maybe that’s what they have invested heavily in to get working well?
SMEs are being squeezed everywhere at the moment so support or helplines I feel would be better to invest in rather than cracking down on them.
I just hope they don’t try and go like Virgin though. Virgin got rid of all customer service call lines a couple of years ago and thought their extensive online FAQs was enough. When you found a number it was all automated so you just go round in circles. I bought something that I could not use and spent literally days trying to sort it.
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@robfryer-brandstorm funnily enough I finally axed Virgin Media this evening (home internet / tv) for the same reasons. Terrible customer service. Why do companies not invest in this any more
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