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HMRC= Joke


Hodge
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I called the HMRC yesterday as I needed a letter with my utr number on, I waited for 30 mins to get through, I then gave the lady all my details, after about 10 mins I was told I had not passes security, I asked why and I was told some of the info I had given was incorrect? I asked which bit was wrong and was told she could not tell me? I asked why and she said it was for security, I asked how am I meant to get this sorted? She told me I had to go online and change my address? I asked if my address was wrong and if so how could that be as they and the letters to my house wanting money and there is no problem? She then told me to write with my request for my utr. By this point I had been on nearly an hour so I told here what I thought and hung. Utter joke, it's no wonder so many people avoid paying tax if that's the hassle that you have to put up with if you are being honest. God knows how much it cost me in call charges?

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Their telephone helpline is indeed truly diabolical at times. I need to speak to them about something before submitting a tax return last year and my total time waiting on the line, over the period of a week trying to get through, was about 3 hours. On the Friday, I tried calling their "overseas" number, which is the number you call if you're abroad, and got through to someone within 30 seconds, in the office I needed to speak to, but he told me I needed to call their UK number. I then lost the plot completely with the bloke on the phone and sent an email to my local MP expressing my disgust at their service. Saturday morning I called again on the UK number, and it was answered within 3 rings and problem sorted out within a couple of minutes!

 

My MP sent me an email back a few days later saying he was taking the matter up on my behalf. I think a lot more people need to complain really. There's a shortage of jobs in this country, yet a government agency like HMRC doesn't have enough people to deal with enquiries. Bonkers!

Edited by Steve Bullman
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And actually, the call charges thing really gets on my nips. I couldn't help but think the whole waiting thing is just another way for the government to rake in money, what with all the VAT they'll be charging on the calls. Mind you, I put it down as a business expense.

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I had a similar problem with the call centre... If you have a HMRC advice centre nearby I would recommend going to it, talking face to face is a lot easier in my opinion and if you have the letter and suitable ID you wont need to do the security questions, plus you can hand in your tax return at the same time and save on a stamp!

 

cheers ciaran glyde

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There's a shortage of jobs in this country, yet a government agency like HMRC doesn't have enough people to deal with enquiries. Bonkers!

 

How would you suggest the government pay them???, just borrow more money I guess.

 

As for them "racking in money" from the calls, they don't the charges don't generate revenue, it just reduces the cost of their telecoms.

Edited by Steve Bullman
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i registered as self employed 5 years ago and was told as id registered so close to the end of the tax year to not ppay tax in theat year and run it to the next year. after doing all my paper work for 3 years i went to a accountant and signed up with them when they put my details into the computer it showed i was still in the army which i had left 3 years before. no records of tax or of me being self employed they then landed me a 350£ bill for not being registered. i have a good accountant so he straigtened it all out so i didnt pay a penny. words cannot describe how uttery ridiculous that is it made me so angry i now just buy stuff i dont need o reduce my tax bill. hmrc are a joke outfit for sure.

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How would you suggest the government pay them???, just borrow more money I guess.

 

As for them "racking in money" from the calls, they don't the charges don't generate revenue, it just reduces the cost of their telecoms.

 

Simple. All those unemployed or under-employed people that you lot moan about, well, they're getting JSA and income support. The government wants companies to take them on unpaid to give them experience. Well, how about the government getting HMRC to take some on. No need to pay them any more - they'll be benefiting from valuable experience that might help them get a job elsewhere. And at the same time, once trained up a little bit, then they'll be taking calls. Call centre work is pretty straightforward these days!

 

And the raking in money" on the calls bit - yes, I know the calls don't generate revenue, as such. BUT vat is charged on all calls - where do you think that vat goes? Straight into the government coffers. Perhaps what should happen is that all calls to HMRC etc should be 0800 numbers, so they're picking up the tab. This might give some incentive for them to get their house in order.

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Simple. All those unemployed or under-employed people that you lot moan about, well, they're getting JSA and income support. The government wants companies to take them on unpaid to give them experience. Well, how about the government getting HMRC to take some on. No need to pay them any more - they'll be benefiting from valuable experience that might help them get a job elsewhere. And at the same time, once trained up a little bit, then they'll be taking calls. Call centre work is pretty straightforward these days!

 

And the raking in money" on the calls bit - yes, I know the calls don't generate revenue, as such. BUT vat is charged on all calls - where do you think that vat goes? Straight into the government coffers. Perhaps what should happen is that all calls to HMRC etc should be 0800 numbers, so they're picking up the tab. This might give some incentive for them to get their house in order.

 

:confused1: You think they pick up the tab??????:confused1:

 

Do you think they have a big pot of gold that just refills every time its emptied???????

 

They use OUR money to pay for EVERYTHING!!!!, so its still us picking up the tab, at least if the person making the call and there for benefiting from the call pays something, its a little less of my money going on things for others.

 

And if I call the HMRC I would sooner pay a little for the call than get some muppet on unpaid works experience.

Edited by skyhuck
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:confused1: You think they pick up the tab??????:confused1:

 

Do you think they have a big pot of gold that just refills every time its emptied???????

 

They use OUR money to pay for EVERYTHING!!!!, so its still us picking up the tab, at least if the person making the call and there for benefiting from the call pays something, its a little less of my money going on things for others.

 

And if I call the HMRC I would sooner pay a little for the call than get some muppet on unpaid works experience.

 

I know they use our money to pay for everything. What I'm saying is that the HMRC call centres can't cope with the peak call volumes because they have insufficient staff at those times. Yet there are people sitting around with nothing to do that we are already paying for. And not much intelligence is needed for a lot of call centre work - it's all on the computer in front of you. The call centre workers aren't generally the people that make decisions. They have to take information and answer questions. Any "muppet" can do it after a bit of training. Even a tree monkey could do it.

 

And it's generally the people calling HMRC who are tax payers, paying for the things that you can benefit from, so why should we have to put up with an unacceptable service when all we are trying to do is sort things out to pay our tax bills?

 

There's talk of 10,000 more HMRC staff being cut by 2015. So what's going to happen to them? On the dole? Perhaps they'll be drafted in to take calls at peak time.

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