When will HMRC treat employers as customers?
Yet again we see HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) reacting to criticism of its contact centres by providing help for the agent community with the introduction of a priority line for SA queries – for those of you lucky enough to be an agent the priority line number is 0845 366 7855. Sadly, despite plenty of lobbying over the years (I should know I was one of those doing the lobbying at the IPP!), the message that employers act as the agents for millions of unrepresented taxpayers, also known as employees, just doesn’t seem to be getting through to HMRC.
It’s okay for employers to field all the issues that emanated from the debacle around tax codes at the start of this tax year but when it comes to getting help from HMRC, often to solve a problem they have created, then we seem to be bottom of the food chain. Given our role in bringing in billions of revenue into the Treasury, a level playing field in terms of service is long overdue.
Kate Upcraft
Payroll writer and lecturer
ISIS Support Services Ltd
kateupcraft@btconnect.com
