Customer Satisfaction

As we rapidly approach the deadline (31 January) for the submission of tax forms etc, accountants and tax professionals around the country are beavering away working their way through the myriad of forms and rules that HMRC imposes upon the taxpayers of Britain.

Suffice to say this is a rather busy time of the year for tax professionals, and they can do without interruptions and distractions.

I was therefore rather "surprised" to receive an email from a fellow accountant who told me that HMRC are currently conducting telephone Customer Satisfaction Surveys of accountants and agents this month.

He told me that a very nice young lady had telephoned one of his partners yesterday asking if he would care to take part in a 10 minute telephone survey, assessing their working relationship with HMRC.

When told that they were too busy to speak to her on that day, would she mind telephoning back in February, the reply was that the Revenue want the survey conducting Friday or Monday so that they can assess the results by the month end!

Do the HMRC actually understand what people have to do to complete their tax forms?

Does this mean that non replies will allow HMRC will award themselves a "satisfactory" response?

Why the rush?

It seems to me that this is another rushed "initiative" from HMRC to try to appease their political masters, and convince Brown/Darling and the taxpayer that HMRC is a responsive "customer focused" organisation.

It hasn't!

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