HMRC’s response to ICAEW and other professional bodies points to improvements made, albeit from a very low baseline. The performance dashboard is now live and confirms that there are continuing delays in dealing with correspondence.
ICAEW members are reporting that poor performance is being experienced across almost all HMRC services and ICAEW has been pressing for greater transparency about the problems being experienced and for a clear recovery plan. The Tax Faculty outlines the problems that have been raised and the action it has taken.
Over the past 12 months ICAEW members have reported numerous service issues and delays across a range of HMRC services.
The main concern of members in practice is the withdrawal of priority access from the agent dedicated line (ADL). There are long wait times and reduced hours on other helplines and significant delays in processing registrations and repayment claims. ICAEW members have reported call waiting times of 40 mins to an hour on HMRC’s helplines and calls being cut off.