HMRC says one million people have missed the January 31 self assessment tax return deadline, and will now face an automatic £100 fine.
Let joy be untrammelled!
HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
HMRC Is Shite (www.hmrcisshite.com), also available via the domain www.hmrconline.com, is brought to you by www.kenfrost.com "The Living Brand"
Buckle up, fellow tax warriors – if "HMRC unanswered calls 2024" or "HMRC helpline nightmare" has you raging at your screen, you're not alone in this festering pit of bureaucratic bollocks. I'm Ken Frost, the grizzled FCA firebrand who's been eviscerating HMRC's shower of incompetence for 19 long years on this blog and across the kenfrost.com empire.
And today?
Oh, today we're torching this travesty with the full force of facts, fury, and a healthy dose of sarcasm. Because let's face it: when one in five calls to the taxman goes unanswered over the last decade – that's a staggering 83 million desperate pleas ignored – it's not a glitch. It's a goddamn disgrace.
Picture this: you're a hardworking sole trader in Manchester, sweating over your Self Assessment deadline, or a pensioner in Penzance just trying to sort a piddling pension query. You dial 0300 200 3300, heart in mouth, only to be met by an endless symphony of hold music that makes Vivaldi sound like speed metal. And after 18 agonising minutes on average? Click. Dead air. No help. No resolution. Just you, abandoned in the cold grip of taxpayer hell. In 2024/25 alone, over 6 million calls went unanswered – that's more than 17,000 souls a day left twisting in the wind, unable to get a scrap of support from the very service that's meant to serve them. We're talking about the lifeblood of Britain's economy – small businesses, families, the lot – hung out to dry by an outfit that's more interested in digital pipe dreams than picking up the bloody phone.
This isn't hyperbole, my old muckers. It's the cold, hard reality of HMRC's call centre catastrophe, a slow-motion car crash that's been brewing since the coalition cock-ups of yesteryear. As we stare down the barrel of another budget black hole, with £46.8 billion in unpaid taxes festering like an open wound (much of it from the SMEs they claim to champion), it's high time we eviscerated this farce once and for all. So, grab a cuppa (or something stronger), and let's dive into the stats, the sob stories, and the shambolic excuses that make you wonder if HMRC's middle name is "Incompetence."
Let's not mince words – HMRC's phone lines aren't just under strain; they're a full-blown administrative apocalypse. Over the past 10 years, they've failed to answer one in five calls from taxpayers begging for basics: tax code clarifications, refund chases, penalty pleas. That's 83 million missed opportunities to actually do their sodding job. Zoom in on 2024/25, and the picture gets even uglier. Provisional figures from the tax behemoth itself peg the average wait time at a soul-crushing 18 minutes and 44 seconds across the year, with March 2025 hitting 14 minutes and 44 seconds – as if that's some badge of honour.
But unanswered? That's the real kick in the goolies. Six million-plus calls ghosted in a single fiscal year, equating to 17,000+ people daily dialling into oblivion. And it's not just the volume; it's the vicious cycle it feeds. MPs like Gideon Amos are baying for reform, slamming this as a "fast-track" failure that leaves pensioners and punters alike in the lurch. Wendy Chamberlain MP echoes the outrage, demanding better for the grey-pound brigade who's already weathered enough economic storms.
To break it down, here's a quick table of HMRC's helpline horrors (sourced from official dross and watchdog whacks):
| Year/Period | Unanswered Calls | Avg. Wait Time | Daily Impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-2024 (Decade Total) | 83 million | N/A | ~22,700/day |
| 2023/24 | ~4 million | 16+ minutes | ~11,000/day |
| 2024/25 (Provisional) | 6+ million | 18:44 mins | 17,000+/day |
These aren't abstract numbers – they're the soundtrack to sleepless nights for Britain's battlers. And with HMRC projecting even worse for the coming year? Buckle up, indeed. It's like they're auditioning for a sequel to Brazil, but with more accents and less charm.
Stats are one thing; the human cost? That's where the bile really rises. Take "Sarah" from Leeds – not her real name, but her nightmare sure as hell is. In April 2025, she rang HMRC 50 bloody times over a phantom £20k tax bill that materialised out of thin air. Fifty calls. That's two full working weeks of redialling purgatory, only to learn it was a glitch in their glitch-riddled system. "I was suicidal," she told The Times, her voice cracking over the line that finally connected. Sarah's not unique; she's the poster child for a system that's weaponised indifference.
Or consider the small business owners hammered by helpline errors in July 2025. Apex Accountants reported a spate of basic blunders – wrong advice on VAT thresholds, mangled NI contributions – leaving punters out of pocket and out of their minds. One outfit in Birmingham lost £5k in erroneous penalties because the advisor on the other end (after a 25-minute wait) misread their records. "It's deliberate degradation," blasts the Public Accounts Committee, accusing HMRC of starving phone services to shove us all online – where, surprise, the site's down half the time anyway.
And don't get me started on the vulnerable. Pensioners, disabled claimants, the self-employed scraping by post-Brexit – they're the cannon fodder in this call-centre cull. The NAO's 2024 report paints a grim portrait: customer satisfaction in the toilet, with 66.4% of interactions leaving folks fuming. Complaints surged 10% in 2023/24, hitting 1,046 at the Adjudicator's Office alone. It's not service; it's sabotage. HMRC's not just dropping calls – they're dropping the ball on trust, one unanswered ring at a time.
Ah, the excuses. Where to begin with this parade of platitudes? "We're investing in digital," they bleat, as if shoving taxpayers onto a website that's crashed more times than a drunk at last orders fixes the phone famine. The PAC isn't buying it – they reckon it's a calculated cull, designed to "degrade" access and save a few quid, all while raking in £500k on video-interview vanity projects that go nowhere. (Remember that gem from October? Taxpayers footing the bill for tech tat – classic HMRC.)
Then there's the staffing shambles: under-resourced, over-stretched, with wait times ballooning despite £50m extra dosh. Bosses admit 2023/24 was a "difficult period," but that's code for "we cocked it up royally." And the bias? Don't make me laugh – or cry. Benefit claimants waltz through in 3 minutes flat, while taxpayers stew for 18. It's favouritism dressed as efficiency, a middle finger to the makers who keep this sinking ship afloat.
In short: shite excuses from a shite service. Time to call time on the charade.
Right, enough ranting – let's get tactical, tax warriors. You don't have to take this lying down. Here's your roadmap to reclaiming sanity (and maybe a few quid) when HMRC ghosts you:
Document the Despair: Log every call – date, time, duration, hold music hell. Screenshots of online crashes too. It's ammo for complaints.
Escalate Like a Pro: Hit the complaints line (yes, it exists: 0300 200 3319), then the Adjudicator if they stonewall. MPs' surgeries are gold for pensioners – Wendy Chamberlain's lot are on the case.
Go Digital, But Smart: Use the app or portal, but cross-check with pros. And if you're drowning in debt disputes? Grab a copy of Tolley's Tax Planning – the bible for dodging HMRC's dodgy demands. Buy it here and arm yourself for the fray .
Join the Chorus: Share your horror story in the comments below. We're building a wall of witness against this wall of waste.
Stay Sharp with Allies: Dive into The Taxpayer's Survival Guide for insider hacks on helpline horrors. Grab it now – because knowledge is the ultimate comeback.
There you have it – not just a rant, but a rebellion blueprint. Because if HMRC won't answer the call, we will. Loudly. Relentlessly. Until the shite stops.
Tax does have to be taxing. But so does fighting the good fight. Got a helpline horror? Spill it below – let's make some noise.
Ken Frost
FCA | Blogger | HMRC Eviscerator
kenfrost.com | Follow the fray on X @Ken_Frost
Posted 7 November 2025
As a result of Covid continuing to screw things up, HMRC has announced that self assessment taxpayers will get an extra month to file their tax returns without incurring a fine. However, interest will still accrue.
While the waiving of penalties means taxpayers won’t receive a late filing penalty if they file online by 28 February (and payments by 1 April), HMRC is continuing to encourage agents and taxpayers to file before the 31 January deadline as interest will still be payable from 1 February, as usual.
Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s deputy chief executive and second permanent secretary, said:
“We know the pressures individuals and businesses are again facing this year, due to the impacts of Covid-19.
Our decision to waive penalties for one month for Self Assessment taxpayers will give them extra time to meet their obligations without worrying about receiving a penalty.”
HMRC has estimated that there are still 5.7m tax returns outstanding.
Self Assessment taxpayers have until 1 April to pay any outstanding tax liabilities in full or set up an online payment plan for the 2019 to 2020 financial year to avoid incurring penalty charges https://t.co/XXYHIt1vQ7
— HMRC Press Office (@HMRCpressoffice) March 22, 2021
Self Assessment taxpayers have just over a week to pay any outstanding tax liabilities in full or set up an online payment plan for the 2019 to 2020 financial year to avoid incurring penalty charges, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has urged.
Last month, HMRC said that due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, they were giving Self Assessment taxpayers more time to pay their tax or set up a payment plan without facing a 5% late payment penalty charge, as long as arrangements were in place by midnight on 1 April.
Those who have yet to settle their liabilities for the 2019 to 2020 financial year can pay their tax bill or set up a monthly payment plan online at GOV.UK. They can pay online, via their bank, or by post. Alternatively, setting up a Time to Pay arrangement allows taxpayers to spread the cost of their Self Assessment tax bill into monthly instalments until January 2022.
Anyone worried about paying their tax and unable to set up a payment plan online should contact HMRC for help and support on 0300 200 3822.
Almost 117,000 taxpayers have set up a self-serve Time to Pay arrangement online, totalling more than £437 million.
There is no change to the payment deadline and other obligations are not affected. This means that:
The payment deadline remains 31 January 2021 and interest will be charged on late payment. The current rate of late payment interest is 2.6%
A 5% late payment penalty will be charged if tax remains outstanding, and a payment plan has not been set up, by midnight on 1 April 2021. Further late payment penalties are charged at 6 and 12 months (August 2021 and February 2022 respectively), on tax outstanding where a payment plan has not been set up
Self Assessment taxpayers who are required to make Payments on Account and know their 2020 to 2021 tax bill is going to be lower than in 2019 to 2020 – for example due to loss of earnings because of COVID-19 – can reduce their payments. Visit GOV.UK to find out more about Payments on Account and how to reduce them.
Over 10.7m people have submitted their 2019/20 returns by 31 January deadline.
However, Accountancy Daily reports that 1,790,368 taxpayers missed the deadline (14.74%). This is almost double the number who failed to do so last year (958,000) and well above 2019’s total of 730,000.
Individuals whose tax return is now late will not be charged a late filing penalty provided they submit their return online by 28 February, as one of the concessions HMRC has made in response to Covid-19 disruption.
However, those who did not pay their self assessment tax bill by 31 January are now incurring interest on the outstanding balance and should pay their bill as soon as possible.
HMRC says they should pay any outstanding balance, or arrange a payment plan, before 3 March to avoid a 5% late payment penalty.
Those who are not yet able to file their tax
return should pay an estimated amount as soon as possible, which will
minimise any interest and late payment penalty.
31 Jan is the Self Assessment deadline.
— HM Revenue & Customs (@HMRCgovuk) December 17, 2020
Worried about paying?
Do your Tax Return and check what payment support is available.
The January deadline for returns is getting closer. Like many other small practitioners I have staff off, ill, self isolating etc. There’s a backlog which I fear will not clear. So are @HMRCgovuk going to extend the deadline of 31 January?
— Sue Christensen (@taxqueen49) October 19, 2020
What are people's thoughts on this, will HMRC relax the deadline or not?
I suspect it won't.
Tax does have to be taxing.
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