Self Assessment phone line closed...
Discussion
Oakey said:
Until the end of September 2023?
Are these people for real?
I tried the other day, after trying multiple times over a few days and being on hold got through to someone which I then got hung up on, seems very common then after trying again I got through to the line saying the self assessment helpline is closed.Are these people for real?
Tried a different number and they directed me to the online chat, used that went from 300 in the queue down to 20 and it kept freezing at that, using 6 different tabs, 1 eventually got through 3 hours later and they told me the tax refund I called them about in February they were meant to send back within 2 weeks has been put on hold and will take 6 more weeks to be re-assessed. HMRC are an absolute nightmare to get hold off unless they want to speak to you themselves.
They've got a 1.3/5 review rating on trustpilot as we and many others find it incredibly hard to get through to someone who doesn't cut you off. The departments gone to the gutter.
They announced with about four days' notice that they were closing the line. They're an utter shower.
"HMRC is planning to close the self assessment tax helpline for three months over the summer to focus call centre resources on dealing with other problem calls
All calls to the helpline will be redirected to digital services over the period to give HMRC time to deal with other more urgent phone enquiries.
The helpline will be closed for three months from Monday 12 June until Monday 4 September. During this time HMRC said it will ‘trial directing SA queries from the helpline to the department’s digital services, including its online guidance, digital assistant and webchat’."
"HMRC is planning to close the self assessment tax helpline for three months over the summer to focus call centre resources on dealing with other problem calls
All calls to the helpline will be redirected to digital services over the period to give HMRC time to deal with other more urgent phone enquiries.
The helpline will be closed for three months from Monday 12 June until Monday 4 September. During this time HMRC said it will ‘trial directing SA queries from the helpline to the department’s digital services, including its online guidance, digital assistant and webchat’."
On a related/HMRC point, I recently did some work for a company to take them through the process to become authorised to operate a Customs (Bonded) Warehouse. The questions asked on the initial application were stringent. They were then followed up by an onsite interview/meeting lasting about 8 hours, during the course of which I had to remind the interviewer at least three times that he had already asked those question on that subject, some hours previously. He was also virtually unable to answer any questions the company had.
The approval was granted and then we needed to have some points clarified by HMRC (about reporting, practices, etc). After several calls with the supervising office, during which they were only able to nod or shake their head when the anticipated answers to the questions were fed to them, one of them finally confessed yesterday that "they don't really know much about it".
And yet if someone screws up, be it on tax returns or warehouse procedures, you can be sure they'll find someone who knows enough to throw the book at them.
The approval was granted and then we needed to have some points clarified by HMRC (about reporting, practices, etc). After several calls with the supervising office, during which they were only able to nod or shake their head when the anticipated answers to the questions were fed to them, one of them finally confessed yesterday that "they don't really know much about it".
And yet if someone screws up, be it on tax returns or warehouse procedures, you can be sure they'll find someone who knows enough to throw the book at them.
MaxFromage said:
Not the answer you want, but an accountant will still be able to speak to them on your behalf.
We can't actually, the agent line has restricted use now, we can only call for certain items. See here:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-rev...
markiii said:
MaxFromage said:
Everything is to blame. All calls I make are always to someone working from home. The other day I couldn't hear what the HMRC worker was saying about my client's income because his kids were screaming so loudly.
i think they issue is that they are at home not working3yr olds don’t give a s
t about your work when they want batteries in the Lego train, and your wife has no idea how the Lego train goes together, and no hope of pacifying said 3yr old in this current ‘phase’WFH is great when everyone else is out, and there aren’t builders nearby using 2 stroke motors, or playing the radio really loud, etc etc.
HMRC sounds a bit broken.
I struggled enough so I just pay for an accountant to do it all now. I just can’t be arsed with HMRC any more.
Edited by Mr Whippy on Tuesday 27th June 23:11
LeighW said:
We can't actually, the agent line has restricted use now, we can only call for certain items. See here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-rev...
We can call for various items a taxpayer can't call for, and most of the rest can be pulled off online systems. However it's still a pretty shttps://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-rev...
tty situation,
I used the online chat, was in a queue of 78and it took 15 mins to clear. They sorted my £200 discrepancy on my 22-23 assessment. I have contested penalty’s for 21-22 for valid reason which started in feb. Still no update on that despite promise it would have been sorted by may 10…. Hope they pay interest!
MaxFromage said:
Everything is to blame. All calls I make are always to someone working from home. The other day I couldn't hear what the HMRC worker was saying about my client's income because his kids were screaming so loudly.
On one call I made their dog was barking, on another they had the workmen in and there was loud banging. All WFH.It's a pretty poor service now.
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