Contacting HMRC

frogy69 · 20/06/15 - 16:47

Hi has anyone tried to phone up HMRC and actually got through?
I put a claim in for petrol expenses nearly 6 weeks ago and have heard nothing, I don't even know if the forms arrived ok. I have tried ringing but just cant get through, last time I was in the queue for an hour before giving up.
Thanks.

Andrue · 20/06/15 - 17:15

frogy69 wrote: »

Hi has anyone tried to phone up HMRC and actually got through?

I tried earlier this year and failed on three (or was it four?) occasions. The worst of it is the way the connection is just terminated with 'I'm sorry we can't help you.' or some such.

You could try emailing them. My fourth email did eventually get a reply. Mind you the first three resulted in a response saying that I hadn't provided enough information. All three came back 14 days after the initial post so were probably an automated 'timeout' message. Says a lot about HMRC these days if they have a standard timeout message that blames the original sender.

All I can suggest is that you keep trying.

unique · 20/06/15 - 17:29

call mid week, and if it's a bank holiday avoid calling the day before and after, as those are the busiest days, likewise folk calling mondays and fridays

call mid morning or mid afternoon and avoid 12-2pm, as most people will call at the start of the working day or end of it or during lunch when HMRC staff will also be taking lunch

so calling about 11am or 3pm tue/wed/thu is usually the best time to call. of course they will be busy towards certain HMRC deadlines, such as the upcoming p11d deadline or around 5th april, etc

Trickster999 · 20/06/15 - 18:34

frogy69 wrote: »

Hi has anyone tried to phone up HMRC and actually got through?
I put a claim in for petrol expenses nearly 6 weeks ago and have heard nothing, I don't even know if the forms arrived ok. I have tried ringing but just cant get through, last time I was in the queue for an hour before giving up.
Thanks.

Have you thought about getting an accountant to do all this for you? Mine can get through to them in less than a minute

LostFool · 20/06/15 - 18:40

I don't phone them very often but when I do I tend to get through fairly quickly and they are usually very helpful.

However, I did send in a letter to reclaim tax on my 2014-5 pension contributions at the start of the month and I haven't heard anything back yet.

kiviraat · 20/06/15 - 19:47

I called in May as I was on the wrong tax code. The voice recognition couldn't pick up on what I wanted and then I was on hold for 45 minutes, but once I got through to an actual person it was quick and (almost) painless.

Andrue · 20/06/15 - 20:06

kiviraat wrote: »

I called in May as I was on the wrong tax code. The voice recognition couldn't pick up on what I wanted and then I was on hold for 45 minutes, but once I got through to an actual person it was quick and (almost) painless.

That was what I was trying to contact them about. It should have been simple. I was not going to be paying into my private pension this year so wanted them to drop the relief I was getting. I started trying to get it changed in February and they eventually changed it in April..which meant that for one month I still had the wrong code and will therefore have underpaid some tax this year.

Emma Louise2602 · 24/06/15 - 13:26

I work for an accountants and if I need to call HMRC I tend to do it after 5/530 they seem to answer quicker then or sometimes first thing in a morning when I get to work about 9 can be a good time to call

Planet · 24/06/15 - 14:24

I've had to call HMRC a few times and found them to be very unhelpful, and even patronising. Not only that, they make you wait nearly an hour to get through to anyone!

Hey there!

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