HMRC complaints process advice

oldjb

Hello all,

After a bit of advice - I logged an online complaint with HMRC 22nd April, heard nothing apart from an automated response start May, "your complaint has been forwarded to the relevant department" (or something like that).  I then give it until yesterday (1st July) and phone them asking initially about the subject that the complaint was about and then the complaint itself.

The reply was "sorry can't help" when I asked about escalation and when I prompted "do I have to wait another couple of months"  - "yes".

My question, what's the process with HMRC to chase the status of a complaint or is it a case of impatience on my part and I just need to wait however long ? I know they're busy, but I'm just looking for a response along the lines of " it'll be resolved by whenever".     

BridgetTheCat

I had a problem with them a few years ago. I eventually contacted my MP and it was sorted in a matter of days.

oldjb

Thanks, my current plan is to give another month and then follow the escalation path which I think is the adjudicator next. Which is nuts because all this is about, is incorrectly reported interest (documents sent back in Feb. No response). Was hoping that I could get through to complaints directly somehow. 

Dazed_and_C0nfused

oldjb said:

Thanks, my current plan is to give another month and then follow the escalation path which I think is the adjudicator next. Which is nuts because all this is about, is incorrectly reported interest (documents sent back in Feb. No response). Was hoping that I could get through to complaints directly somehow. 

Incorrectly reported by who?

You or a bank/building society?

oldjb

Bank/building society (well NS&I)

MattMattMattUK

oldjb said:

Bank/building society (well NS&I)

What did they incorrectly report? You have raised a complaint, but complaints are normally for issues with HMRC, there are different processes to deal with incorrectly reported data. If NS&I have incorrectly reported something then you need to get them to correct that rather than HMRC.

Nomunnofun1

oldjb said:

Bank/building society (well NS&I)

You are escalating a complaint with HMRC regarding data they received upon which they had no input?

I can confidently predict the outcome!

oldjb

Well not totally, a good few years ago NS&I registered the same account twice with HMRC. Now I don't know which system is it at fault, a call in that instance (to HMRC) resolved the problem.  Since then I have been somewhat sensitive to what HMRC report

For the record, I have resolved the issue - it's user based, NS&I report cumulative totals. In my defence my statements do not list this (24/25 does).

But all that to one side, even if the person reporting a problem is wrong a complaint shouldn't be left like that.

In fact, I don't understand why they (HMRC) don't list interest received from various banks/building societies on their webpage, via secure logon. Would cut down on a lot of queries like this. 

MattMattMattUK

oldjb said:

Well not totally, a good few years ago NS&I registered the same account twice with HMRC. Now I don't know which system is it at fault, a call in that instance (to HMRC) resolved the problem.  Since then I have been somewhat sensitive to what HMRC report

For the record, I have resolved the issue - it's user based, NS&I report cumulative totals. In my defence my statements do not list this (24/25 does).

But all that to one side, even if the person reporting a problem is wrong a complaint shouldn't be left like that.

HMRC have a huge backlog of just about everything to try and deal with, they are hugely understaffed and underfunded. Their times to deal with most things are measured in months, several months at their quickest, very rarely days or weeks.

oldjb said:

In fact, I don't understand why they (HMRC) don't list interest received from various banks/building societies on their webpage, via secure logon. Would cut down on a lot of queries like this. 

I am fairly sure it shows in Self Assessment, but I am not totally sure. It will likely be something that they are looking at, but with the various systems, getting them to talk together and again a huge shortfall of manpower, funding, the tech skills and the political will to push it all through they tend to take a while to move to new systems or implement new features. 

Hoenir

oldjb said:

In fact, I don't understand why they (HMRC) don't list interest received from various banks/building societies on their webpage, via secure logon. Would cut down on a lot of queries like this. 

I maintain my own list. In he event of any queries I've something to submit. HMRC aren't there to provide free services, 

sheramber

As far as I have read the information is not available online but you can get it by phoning them and asking for it.