Agents critical of HMRC

The vast majority of accountants are dissatisfied with the level of service  HMRC provides, particularly its dedicated agents helpline, with reliability and speed of response criticised.

Research conducted on behalf of HMRC has revealed a general dissatisfaction with the department’s efficiency and effectiveness among accountants and tax agents.  

According to the survey conducted by Kantar, only one in five accountants are satisfied with HMRC, leaving 81% of accountants less than happy with the performance of the tax authority.  

The level of satisfaction with HMRC is in decline with 38% of accountants criticising the standard of service on the agent-dedicated line (ADL). Reflecting the drop in service standards since the pandemic struck, the same research in 2019 showed that 61% of agents were satisfied with HMRC’s service. 

Adam Harper, AAT’s director of professional standards and policy, said: “Customer services are going in the wrong direction. This is causing genuine harm to businesses as well as wider UK productivity. AAT’s members have repeatedly expressed their frustration of facing severe delays with HMRC, even with simple tasks like VAT registration.”   

AAT Comment offers news and opinion on the world of business and finance from the Association of Accounting Technicians.