HMRC is consulting until 15 May 2020 on draft revisions to the HMRC charter, which was last updated in 2016. The proposed revisions follow recommendations made by the Lords economic affairs committee report on Treating taxpayers fairly in December 2018 and the loan charge review in December 2019.
Among the changes is a shift in emphasis towards HMRC’s commitments to taxpayers, reflecting the conclusions of the Treating taxpayers fairly report. The revised draft charter aims to meet the following criteria:
short and direct with simple, accessible language;
to embody or represent HMRC’s values of professionalism, integrity, showing respect, and innovation; and
show greater focus on HMRC’s commitments to taxpayers, while not losing sight of taxpayers’ obligations to HMRC.
HMRC is also examining its measurement framework as part of the charter review and would welcome views on how best to measure performance against the revised charter.
The revised charter is intended to come into effect by Summer 2020.
HMRC has also issued its response to the Adjudicator’s Office annual report published in June 2019. The report set out a number of recommendations, falling into five broad themes:
learning from complaints, leading to establishment of a complaints insight board in July;
cultural shift, with a greater focus on taking a customer-centred approach alongside recognition of the importance of good complaint-handling;
improved handling of complaints, by providing HMRC staff with the skills and flexibility to resolve issues at the first point of contact, and digitising the complaint-handling process;
specific issues related to complaints, through updated guidance, training, and conducting research to understand issues better; and
collaborative working, building on improvements between HMRC and the adjudicator’s office and extension of the complaints insight board to the valuation office agency (VOA).
HMRC is consulting until 15 May 2020 on draft revisions to the HMRC charter, which was last updated in 2016. The proposed revisions follow recommendations made by the Lords economic affairs committee report on Treating taxpayers fairly in December 2018 and the loan charge review in December 2019.
Among the changes is a shift in emphasis towards HMRC’s commitments to taxpayers, reflecting the conclusions of the Treating taxpayers fairly report. The revised draft charter aims to meet the following criteria:
short and direct with simple, accessible language;
to embody or represent HMRC’s values of professionalism, integrity, showing respect, and innovation; and
show greater focus on HMRC’s commitments to taxpayers, while not losing sight of taxpayers’ obligations to HMRC.
HMRC is also examining its measurement framework as part of the charter review and would welcome views on how best to measure performance against the revised charter.
The revised charter is intended to come into effect by Summer 2020.
HMRC has also issued its response to the Adjudicator’s Office annual report published in June 2019. The report set out a number of recommendations, falling into five broad themes:
learning from complaints, leading to establishment of a complaints insight board in July;
cultural shift, with a greater focus on taking a customer-centred approach alongside recognition of the importance of good complaint-handling;
improved handling of complaints, by providing HMRC staff with the skills and flexibility to resolve issues at the first point of contact, and digitising the complaint-handling process;
specific issues related to complaints, through updated guidance, training, and conducting research to understand issues better; and
collaborative working, building on improvements between HMRC and the adjudicator’s office and extension of the complaints insight board to the valuation office agency (VOA).
