HMRC services disrupted by strikes
You may experience difficulty or severe delays contacting HMRC’s helplines over the next few weeks, with several strikes planned. What are the scheduled dates, and how else might you resolve queries?
HMRC helplines are already under huge pressure. One of the most common complaints is the long wait times experienced, which can increase costs and eat into time that could be better spent elsewhere in your business. Unfortunately, the next three weeks are set to be significantly worse, as strike action will mean over 400 workers walk out in disputes over pay, job security and pensions. This is likely to affect you if you need to contact HMRC about self-assessment, PAYE, NI, or the construction industry scheme. The strike dates are:
- May – 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31
- June – 1, 2
Try to contact HMRC now if you have a genuinely urgent query. Remember that a lot of information can be obtained via your personal tax or business tax account. If you have an accountant or tax advisor, they may be able to help with any technical queries. Otherwise, HMRC has a number of other methods of contact that can help.
Related Topics
-
Should you voluntarily payroll benefits in kind?
The window to sign up to voluntarily payroll non-mandatory benefits in kind for 2027/28 will open in November. Is it worth volunteering to pay HMRC earlier than required or should you wait until it becomes mandatory in 2028/29?
-
Wise tax statement errors could affect 4,000 customers
Around 4,000 UK customers of financial services provider Wise have been told that tax statements issued between 2021 and 2025 contained incorrect figures. The errors could have resulted in taxpayers paying too much or too little income tax and capital gains tax (CGT). What should affected customers check?
-
Could refinancing your property put mortgage interest relief at risk?
HMRC has changed its guidance on claiming tax relief for interest on loans used to replace capital withdrawn from a business. The Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT) has now challenged the revised guidance, warning that it creates uncertainty for landlords, sole traders and partnerships. Could your borrowing arrangements be affected?