HMRC is trialling a new approach to support for self-assessment queries. For three months from 12 June 2023, self-assessment queries are being diverted to HMRC’s digital services, including its online guidance, digital assistant and webchat. HMRC says that this will free up around 350 advisers to provide more general support – for example, taking urgent calls on other lines. The self-assessment helpline will reopen on 4 September. The CIOT comments that the closure is ‘another flashing indicator that HMRC can’t cope with everything it is being tasked with’ and calls on the UK government to resource HMRC to provide the level of service taxpayers need.
HMRC’s latest Stakeholder Digest(8 June 2023) summarises the new approach and also highlights additional topics added to HMRC’s SMS text service.
HMRC is trialling a new approach to support for self-assessment queries. For three months from 12 June 2023, self-assessment queries are being diverted to HMRC’s digital services, including its online guidance, digital assistant and webchat. HMRC says that this will free up around 350 advisers to provide more general support – for example, taking urgent calls on other lines. The self-assessment helpline will reopen on 4 September. The CIOT comments that the closure is ‘another flashing indicator that HMRC can’t cope with everything it is being tasked with’ and calls on the UK government to resource HMRC to provide the level of service taxpayers need.
HMRC’s latest Stakeholder Digest(8 June 2023) summarises the new approach and also highlights additional topics added to HMRC’s SMS text service.
