My thanks to a loyal reader who has advised me that the decision on the fate of HMRC's enquiry centres will be released on Wednesday 12 February at 1pm.
The "decision making" process has been long and drawn out (almost 11 months to the day since it was announced), indeed on 10th January PCS stated that the decision would be made on 14th January.
Maybe the decision has indeed been made, but the publication of the decision is being delayed?
Views and comments are welcome.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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I'm sure that the trial closure of the north east enquiry centres has been a complete success. I'm sure no taxpayers have even wanted to visit an enquiry centre. I'm sure no taxpayer has turned up to an enquiry centre to find it closed. I'm also sure no taxpayer will have had any trouble at all with the contact centres. None will have spent £20 while on hold waiting to speak to an advisor. We all know what the result will be.
ReplyDeleteIf the decision is NOT to close the enquiry centres, then this is the biggest U turn of all time - HMRC management have made it clear from day 1 that they wanted to close them all down as each visit costs to much and stuff customer service.
ReplyDeleteI feel for the staff who *could* be negatively affected by closure AND for the less technologically able "customers" who will be forced to use the HMRC website.
Just to clarify Ken, Excom always said they would make their decision in January but not announce it until February as they needed a few weeks to organise and put the final details together.
ReplyDeleteIn my mind if it was a no they wouldn't need to leave it three weeks it would be a case of going "it's a no things stay as they are... for now" so I think the only thing to be decided is when it will happen and how, will it be phased in or all at once, will they do small EC's first and large last etc, will they extend the pilot area by area.
Whatever they decide it's doomed to fail this SA January peak has been a nightmare, they have no answers to how they will help people file online next year, they have put a begging message out today asking for CC staff to volunteer for next Friday as they fear they cannot cope so a disaster is all that can be foreseen.
The discerning may assume that this sort of management indecision re. the CC's and this headless chicken response to predictable SA issues might account for the loss of 17,000 staff days to stress in Wales alone over the last 3 years as unearthed by Jonathan Edwards a Plaid MP recently?
ReplyDeleteWait until the next tranche of disabilty related Employment Tribunal cases are heard in Dundee...