Key points
- ICAEW and other stakeholders want to work positively with HMRC to create an efficient and effective UK tax system.
- HMRC’s communication of the closure of the self-assessment helpline was misleading.
- The tax authority’s post handling performance has improved in recent months.
- Budget cuts are having a serious impact on HMRC’s service standards.
- Online services could help but they need to be properly funded and developed.
Poor HMRC service performance is featuring regularly in the media. Professional bodies are receiving a high volume of unprompted feedback from members expressing concern about the impact on firms and their clients as well as on unrepresented taxpayers. There are high level concerns that poor HMRC service performance may be having an impact on the level of tax compliance and on economic growth although these factors will always be difficult to measure.
ICAEW and other stakeholders have a very significant...