As loyal readers of this site know, one of the recurring themes/gripes that people have wrt HMRC is the difficulty of contacting staff who can actually help with a tax query/issue.
There is a postal backlog of at least 8 weeks, and the call centres are overloaded with calls.
Therefore I am grateful to one commentator, who posted this very timely piece of advice the other day about email addresses:
"The easiest way to get through to the jokers at the top is email them direct. The address is easy, first name, dot,surname @hmrc.gsi.gov.uk eg dave.hartnett@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. leslie.strathie@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk
simple."
Do remember though that they are unlikely to reply, unless you also openly copy your email to your MP or the media.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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It will be Lesley rather than "Leslie", and it will be David rather than "Dave".
ReplyDeleteThough I would imagine the emails will be first dealt with by someone else, that is if astonishingly they don't have one of those private HMRC email addresses that avoid crap being sent.
Trevor Scott
Its a brilliant comment ands its true.
ReplyDeleteI made a comment a while back saying that if you can, try and nail the manager of the team/building/vat centre of whatever and as a double whammy CC your email/letter to a Political Rep/MP.
A hmrc colleague of mine was scrutinised for a small travel claim for a Private Taxi to a meeting they were forced to attend in a Venue not well served by public transport.
After weeks of harassment the fee was deducted from the colleagues pay but when the manager received an MPs letter requesting a breakdown of travel expenses incurred by HMRC Senior Managers (like taxis to airports/Hotles etc) we all just sat and watched the managers face age a hundred years.
They think theyre jokers but when you lob a grenade onto their desk, they dont like it.
I have to agree with the poster at 26 July 2010 11:35.
ReplyDeleteMy partner has endured a lot of nit picking reviews over the last few years but on the occasions when they have challenged the written review the team leader has simply backed down and rewritten the review. We keep both copies as I am sure they will prove useful at some point in the future(even if it is just to get the BBQ going).
Trevor
ReplyDeleteIt is DAVE Hartnett as all my previous emails to him confirm. Thanks for amended spelling of Lesley. They all have gsi addresses as shown so that anyone in the Revenue can get a message to them. You are correct in the fact that their PA's might filter the stuff but as someone else pointed out copy to MP tends to act like a laxative.
It's 'HMRC' not 'the Revenue'.
ReplyDeleteA minor matter, perhaps, but intensely aggravating to those of us with an ex-Customs and Excise background.
27 July 2010 01:13-
ReplyDeleteIts not HMRC, Its "The Revenue".
From x-Customs and Excise. (RIP)
:)
I have really enjoyed this blog and I hope that new posts are made.
ReplyDelete