HMRC’s new low as callers wait 16 minutes on average

CUSTOMER service at HM Revenue & Customs has hit an all-time low, a damning report by senior MPs warns today.

The tax office has seen a five-year decline and is ‘struggling to cope’ with inquiries, says the House of Commons’ Public Accounts Committee.

More than six in ten callers were left waiting more than 10 minutes to speak to an adviser, and the average wait time rose to 16 minutes, 24 seconds in 2022-23.

‘HMRC’s customer services have continued to deteriorate and remain well below its service standards,’ the report finds. HMRC has struggled to keep pace with growing demand as more people are dragged into paying taxes due to freezes on tax allowances. It estimates an extra four million people will pay income tax between 2022-23 and 2028-29.

Dame Meg Hillier MP, chair of the committee, says the overall level of customer service provided by HMRC has reached an all-time low. She says: ‘Almost eight years have passed since our committee challenged HMRC over its telephone holding message [the tune played when you are on hold] being one of the most streamed pieces of music in the country. Our latest report into its performance sadly illustrates a continued tale of decline in its services.’

Last month, Money Mail exposed the shocking extent of the breakdown. We revealed how those seeking help were finding it difficult to speak to anyone ahead of the tax return deadline after HMRC’s surprising decision to reduce the service on its helpline from December 11 until the end of January.

The tax office has increasingly directed queries online. However, the report warns against this. It says: ‘HMRC is too keen to point to the long road to digitisation as an excuse for poor services to customers now. HMRC insists it has good-quality digital services for customers to manage their taxes, but this is not the experience shared by the taxpayers and their agents who got in touch with us.’