Fury as HMRC announces it will permanently close tax helplines for six months ... trends now
HMRC has sparked fury by announcing it will permanently close tax helplines for six months and let 100 customer service staff work a three-day week over the summer.
Taxpayers will not be able to call the tax office for help with their returns from April 8 until September 30, HM Revenue and Custom has today announced.
The move comes just weeks after the Commons' Public Accounts Committee of MPs condemned HMRC's customer service for hitting an 'all-time low'.
New figures showed how almost 1million calls went unanswered in January - typically the busiest month of the year for the service, with taxpayers rushing to file for self-assessment tax returns without triggering fines for lateness.
The new six-month closure will coincide with what has been called an 'annualised hours' pilot programme giving 100 customer service employees three-day weeks over the summer, before working longer hours during winter.
HM Revenue and Custom, which has its HQ (pictured) in Parliament Street in central London,w shut down its tax helpline between April 8 and September 30
The House of Commons' Public Accounts Committee of MPs has condemned HMRC's customer service for hitting an 'all-time low' with waiting times for callers rising
The Public Accounts Committee's recent report found average waiting times of 25 minutes before HMRC answered phone calls.
HMRC carried out a similar summer closure last year, getting rid of the helpline between June 12 and September 4.
Despite the government body describing the seasonal pilot as 'successful', it was slammed by accountancy bodies as well as MPs.
And there is anger now after it was revealed the closure would be resumed and last even longer this year.
Critics have warned the new 'seasonal' helpline would mean more taxpayers file returns late and fill them in incorrectly, after statistics showed there were 180,000 fewer in January this year compared to 12 months ago.
Gary Ashford, from the Chartered Institute for Taxation, called the latest decision to shut down the helpline 'misguided'.
He said: 'We are deeply dismayed that, so soon after the criticisms levelled at them by the Public Accounts Committee and in the light of an inconclusive evaluation, HMRC has decided to make these big, permanent cuts to the help it provides to taxpayers.
HM Revenue & Customs will take in an estimated £110million in late payment charges this year
