Taxman to close self-assessment helplines until September and will only deal with ‘priority’ calls when they reopen

HMRC will close its self-assessment helpline from 8 April to 30 September, instead directing people to seek assistance via its online chatbots.

The taxman also said that helplines will reopen between October and March, but only to deal with ‘priority queries’, with all others to be directed to its online services.

HMRC is also set to shut its VAT helpline for good, apart from during the five business days leading up to each month’s submission deadline, while the PAYE helpline will no longer deal with calls regarding PAYE refunds.

Unable to cope: HMRC’s plans to close its helplines is intended to free up time for its advisers to deal with other enquiries

Harriett Baldwin, chair of the Treasury Select Committee, said: ‘It is a great shame that HMRC has decided now is the time to essentially close down any avenues for people to contact them over the phone for huge parts of the year. 

‘I say once again, these are well-meaning people just trying to get their taxes right.

The move follows what it calls a ‘successful’ trial last year, which saw HMRC shut its helplines from June to September – a move exclusively revealed by This is Money.

Ahead of the initial trial, the Tax office said the closure of its lines will help its 350 advisers to deal with urgent calls on other lines and answer customer enquiries.

‘The Committee welcomes efforts to make the tax system more efficient,’ Baldwin said, ‘but HMRC has not yet demonstrated that the department or the public are ready to make such a monumental change to how they resolve tax issues.

‘This should not be forced upon taxpayers until there is evidence that people know how to do their taxes on HMRC’s incredibly complex website.’

In February, a Public Accounts Committee report revealed that HMRC’s customer service had reached an all-time low, with callers waiting an average of more than 16 minutes for an adviser to answer their calls in 2022-23, up from 12 minutes the before.

The tax office insisted that callers who cannot access its online services or are in circumstances where they need extra support will still be able to speak to advisers.

Gary Ashford, president of The Chartered Institute of Taxation, said: ‘We are deeply dismayed that, so soon after the criticisms levelled at them by the Public Accounts Committee, and in the light of an inconclusive evaluation, HMRC have decided to make these big, permanent cuts to the help they provide to taxpayers.

‘If last year’s announcement of the summer closure of the self-assessment helpline was a “flashing indicator” that HMRC can’t cope, today’s announcements are a blinding light.’

Ashford added: ‘There’s no escaping the fact that tax is complicated, and people sometimes need reassurance that what they are doing is right.’

‘We would encourage people to try the HMRC app and online services, which do continue to be developed and so they may find their query can be resolved simply. 

‘However, HMRC’s digital services are still far from fully functional, and the answers can still be difficult or impossible to find online,’ he said.

This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk