Wednesday 9 September 2015

47 Minutes Hanging on The HMRC Telephone


In a remarkable piece of analysis of 34,000 tweets sent to @HMRCgovuk, carried out by Citizens Advice, it transpires that taxpayers are incurring an average phone bill of £4.66 phone bill and waiting of 47 minutes before getting to speak to anyone at HMRC.

As per the Telegraph,one complainant, Gary Bolton, tweeting last month, said that he had tried to get through to HMRC on six occasions – waiting an hour each time. Another caller, Sally Black, claims that no one had responded to her inquiry about child benefit.

HMRC's 0300 helpline is charged at standard landline rate meaning a 47-minute could cost £4.66, unless callers have free minutes as part of a telephone package.

HMRC claims that the data is bollocks:
"This doesn’t represent the real picture now.

In reality, answer rates on our phone lines are improving and wait times are falling.

HMRC is quick to deal with peaks in demand by moving staff internally and taking on additional people. These steps helped us to handle more than 90pc of calls on tax credit deadline day."
Okay then, there is no problem and this is all bollocks!

Nothing to see here folks, move along please.

Feel free to disabuse HMRC of their view.


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13 comments:

  1. It's alright - if we have to phone in sick to our manager, the new 03000 numbers we now have to use charge us at 30p a minute.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. 03 numbers are not premium rate, they are charged the same as geographical numbers and are included in calling plans just as geographical numbers

      Delete
    2. Tell that to BT, then. They're charging 30p per minute. Previously, it was a local-call number at a local-call rate - pennies.

      Delete
    3. I suggest you check the Ofcom guidelines. If BT are charging 30 p per minute they are overcharging you.

      Delete
    4. Sorry, I've just gone back and checked. 27p for a 36s call. So that's 45p per minute.

      Delete
  2. When I was redundant I had to contact HR and it was still 0845 and I ended up with a bill of £40 by the time they had sorted my issue.

    ReplyDelete
  3. just make sure that when you write it isnt the times of year when there is a mass stampede onto the phones. DONT PANIC!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. letters get even less priority Freda;- wait ages for a reply [ if you ever get one]

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  5. I wouldn't mind waiting too much - about 45 mins for me, twice, in recent months - if the person on the end of the line was in a position to move things along/ effect change. They are powerless and seem able only to report the state of the case as it appears on their screens.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Do you really expect more from HMRC when it's staff are totally disillusioned by tax complexity, governmental attacks on pensions and salaries in the mistaken belief that computerisation is the be all and end all of tax administration?

      Delete
    2. ....and totally useless so called training !!

      This smells of a deliberate policy for failure and the Tories will then wheel in the private sector as the saviour...not that they haven't already started doing this on a smaller scale already !!

      A hell hole to work in :(

      Delete
    3. I expect competence at all times from all people. I love being disappointed.
      Got through within 60 secs this morning. The trick is to ring between 07.45 - 08.00. Still no joy, of course.

      Delete
  6. When I started in the early 90's there were serious questions asked by the managers if you didn't pick up within 3/4 rings - rightly so. 20 odd years down the line and look where we are !!

    ReplyDelete