Yesterday's list of certain HMRC email addresses caused a degree of consternation amongst some readers, who expressed concern that "bulk emailing" people would produce no tangible beneficial result.
Were HMRC a well run organisation, with only the occasional blip wrt "customer care", which had effective and efficient means of communication to/from the taxpayer then I would be inclined to agree.
However, it doesn't:
-There is a postal backlog of at least 8 weeks.
-Call centres are overloaded.
-There are no email addresses (or indeed web contact forms) published on the HMRC.
The taxpayer has little option left than to make a "protest", and to show how dissatisfied they are with how their tax communications/problems are being handled.
Bulk mailing that, in effect, "jams up the works" will force those responsible for the mess that HMRC has become to focus their minds a little more on the problems that taxpayers (and indeed HMRC staff) are having.
Sorry folks, the traditional means of communication are failing, the taxpayer needs another method to make his/her voice heard.
On that subject I see that the National Audit Office (NAO) reports that because of the problems with HMRC's new computer system, which combined National Insurance and PAYE payments for the first time, there is a backlog of overpaid taxes of £3BN going back two years.
HMRC are also owed around £1.4BN in unpaid tax.
These problems, according to the NAO, affect around 15 million people.
For good measure the NAO noted that the problems with the new system cost HMRC (or rather cost the taxpayer) an additional £33M.
It seems to me some bulk emailing (polite, not abusive), nothing else has worked, is just what HMRC needs to help focus its attention and to "unbung" its internal blockages.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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That doesn't explain why you posted the email address' of private companies, blogs, the HSE or other departments. If you are going to claim it is a "list of email addresses of the "great and good" in HMRC" you should check that is who you have.
ReplyDeleteAnd clogging up customer helplines with spam will not help the customers you claim to be supporting - it will make their problems worse.
Oooh. Good stuff! I bet the HMRC Assassination Division will be round soon. You will be found in a wood having "committed suicide"
ReplyDeleteThen again, probably not, they will doubtless execute some little old ladies in Bournemouth by mistake and accidentally leave the corpses on a train.
xoggoth. That wouldn't be cost effective. More likely they will write to Ken asking him not to do it again. If he does they will write to him again and then write the whole thing off as too expensive to do anything about. Remember HMRCs motto - "If it costs money it aint worth doing."
ReplyDeleteThey all have delete buttons which is what they tend to use. In the early days of OSH (online srvices helpdesk) there were no spam filters on the system and a couple of managers went through the department in box first thing every day to weed out the spam and protect the advisors from all sorts of porn, viagra adverts, genuine fake rolex watches etc.
ReplyDeleteIf the HSE get some of these then they might wake up and invetigate HMRC like they have been asked to do on many occasions as patently the lack of response by HMRC is causing a lot of people severe stress and I would have thought that this contravenes the HSAW Act as they have to ensure that their activities do not adversly affect not only the work force but anyone else that has to come in contact with them.
MMMMMMMMMMM an interesting test case for compensation, anyone reading this from Lawyers4 You?
Wouldn't worry about the men in black knocking on your door they cant afford the petrol to get the filed farce out on the road to collect money owed.
They all have delete buttons which is what they tend to use. In the early days of OSH (online srvices helpdesk) there were no spam filters on the system and a couple of managers went through the department in box first thing every day to weed out the spam and protect the advisors from all sorts of porn, viagra adverts, genuine fake rolex watches etc.
ReplyDeleteIf the HSE get some of these then they might wake up and invetigate HMRC like they have been asked to do on many occasions as patently the lack of response by HMRC is causing a lot of people severe stress and I would have thought that this contravenes the HSAW Act as they have to ensure that their activities do not adversly affect not only the work force but anyone else that has to come in contact with them.
MMMMMMMMMMM an interesting test case for compensation, anyone reading this from Lawyers4 You?
Wouldn't worry about the men in black knocking on your door they cant afford the petrol to get the filed farce out on the road to collect money owed.
anyone here ever thought that people might just send emails to those on the list that do work for HMRC?
ReplyDeleteSimple!
More likely they will write to Ken asking him not to do it again.
ReplyDeleteNo need to worry Ken, you have at least 8 weeks before they write to you. And if they write sooner then you can call this a result.