Frustration with HMRC.

p00hsticks

SiliconChip said:

whattochoose said:

I'm trying to contact HMRC this Saturday morning by phone and according to this they're open from 8am.
https://www.gov.uk/find-hmrc-contacts/income-tax-enquiries
However, I'm having no joy and a voice is telling me they're not currently open.

I think you've read that page incorrectly. You can make enquiries on X on Saturday between 8am and 4pm, but the phone service is Monday to Friday only.

And the X service wouldn't help in this particular case as 'You can use X to ask HMRC questions. We cannot discuss specific cases or individual tax affairs, so do not give any personal details.'

whattochoose

Nightmare! I wont go into details but I'll be ringing again later and as long as it takes until I speak to someone who I feel I share a real sense of communication with.

badger09

Dazed_and_C0nfused said:

whattochoose said:

Forty years ago I was coming towards the end of a 11 year career with the Inland Revenue, in fact my last place of work was the PAYE enquiry office, Highland House, Manchester.
For one reason or another, it seems the funds are not there anymore to provide such places. However, on Monday I'll be ringing at 8 to ensure I speak to a real person, when I'm more able to articulate my tax concerns at present.
I am grateful for the feedback, but in this matter I'll probably tie myself up in knots here, so I think it will be best if I engage verbally with a sentient other early next week.
Thanks again.

Forty years ago you would probably (as the taxpayer) have been able to speak to someone who knew what they were talking about after having some proper training at places like Townbury House on Blackfriars Street.

Let's hope you get lucky on Monday and speak to someone like that, not one of the poorly trained staff plenty of people posting on here seem to get!

Oh the memories😊

40 years ago, in fact 1985 - 1988, I was a tutor, based at Inland Revenue Training Centre B in Stanmore, with occasional forays into central London & elsewhere. Happiest 3 years of my 35 year IR career. 

Shylock_249

whattochoose said:

The statement they've sent me I find a little incomprehensible and I really feel that I need to speak to a human being about this.

Speak to a human? That would be a bit "touch and go" if you were speaking to someone at HMRC. 😁

I'm glad I don't work for them, they must be under considerable stress, no one answers the phone immediately - usually 40 odd minutes - and it must be just one person after another phoning with problems.  It would probably be a good job if there were no customers like ourselves. 😊

whattochoose

Shylock_249 said:

whattochoose said:

The statement they've sent me I find a little incomprehensible and I really feel that I need to speak to a human being about this.

Speak to a human? That would be a bit "touch and go" if you were speaking to someone at HMRC. 😁

I'm glad I don't work for them, they must be under considerable stress, no one answers the phone immediately - usually 40 odd minutes - and it must be just one person after another phoning with problems.  It would probably be a good job if there were no customers like ourselves. 😊

It took three calls but I was able to find resolution eventually. First person I spoke was useless, in fact I was cut off. Second lady was excellent and had all the patience in the world. This left one issue which I was able to sort out with the third lady I spoke to, who was also good.
Yes, there was a lot of time waiting for someone to answer, but I have been able to reduce tax they said was underpaid (£350) to £19.
Relatively happy then, just relieved I don't have to conduct business with HMRC every week.

kuepper

whattochoose said:

Shylock_249 said:

whattochoose said:

The statement they've sent me I find a little incomprehensible and I really feel that I need to speak to a human being about this.

Speak to a human? That would be a bit "touch and go" if you were speaking to someone at HMRC. 😁

I'm glad I don't work for them, they must be under considerable stress, no one answers the phone immediately - usually 40 odd minutes - and it must be just one person after another phoning with problems.  It would probably be a good job if there were no customers like ourselves. 😊

It took three calls but I was able to find resolution eventually. First person I spoke was useless, in fact I was cut off. Second lady was excellent and had all the patience in the world. This left one issue which I was able to sort out with the third lady I spoke to, who was also good.
Yes, there was a lot of time waiting for someone to answer, but I have been able to reduce tax they said was underpaid (£350) to £19.
Relatively happy then, just relieved I don't have to conduct business with HMRC every week.

I phoned earlier and took 55 minutes (the predicted time was 40 mins) to speak to someone who just baffled me on the same issue of untaxed interest . I asked him where was my nearest tax office to go to to sort the matter out and he said there wasn't one. I'll try and summon up the willpower to phone again and hopefully get someone more helpful

whattochoose

kuepper said:

whattochoose said:

Shylock_249 said:

whattochoose said:

The statement they've sent me I find a little incomprehensible and I really feel that I need to speak to a human being about this.

Speak to a human? That would be a bit "touch and go" if you were speaking to someone at HMRC. 😁

I'm glad I don't work for them, they must be under considerable stress, no one answers the phone immediately - usually 40 odd minutes - and it must be just one person after another phoning with problems.  It would probably be a good job if there were no customers like ourselves. 😊

It took three calls but I was able to find resolution eventually. First person I spoke was useless, in fact I was cut off. Second lady was excellent and had all the patience in the world. This left one issue which I was able to sort out with the third lady I spoke to, who was also good.
Yes, there was a lot of time waiting for someone to answer, but I have been able to reduce tax they said was underpaid (£350) to £19.
Relatively happy then, just relieved I don't have to conduct business with HMRC every week.

I phoned earlier and took 55 minutes (the predicted time was 40 mins) to speak to someone who just baffled me on the same issue of untaxed interest . I asked him where was my nearest tax office to go to to sort the matter out and he said there wasn't one. I'll try and summon up the willpower to phone again and hopefully get someone more helpful

It's pretty dreadful really, and you should be able to go to a local tax enquiry office for help, as was the case when I worked for them, and it was me helping confused taxpayers.
I don't know if you have a HMRC "Gateway" online account. I do and found trying to understand its layout very confusing.
You should ask them how much interest they have you down as receiving and whether that matches up to your calculations, less the first £1000 they don't tax you on, not forgetting any ISA's you have.

kuepper

whattochoose said:

kuepper said:

whattochoose said:

Shylock_249 said:

whattochoose said:

The statement they've sent me I find a little incomprehensible and I really feel that I need to speak to a human being about this.

Speak to a human? That would be a bit "touch and go" if you were speaking to someone at HMRC. 😁

I'm glad I don't work for them, they must be under considerable stress, no one answers the phone immediately - usually 40 odd minutes - and it must be just one person after another phoning with problems.  It would probably be a good job if there were no customers like ourselves. 😊

It took three calls but I was able to find resolution eventually. First person I spoke was useless, in fact I was cut off. Second lady was excellent and had all the patience in the world. This left one issue which I was able to sort out with the third lady I spoke to, who was also good.
Yes, there was a lot of time waiting for someone to answer, but I have been able to reduce tax they said was underpaid (£350) to £19.
Relatively happy then, just relieved I don't have to conduct business with HMRC every week.

I phoned earlier and took 55 minutes (the predicted time was 40 mins) to speak to someone who just baffled me on the same issue of untaxed interest . I asked him where was my nearest tax office to go to to sort the matter out and he said there wasn't one. I'll try and summon up the willpower to phone again and hopefully get someone more helpful

It's pretty dreadful really, and you should be able to go to a local tax enquiry office for help, as was the case when I worked for them, and it was me helping confused taxpayers.
I don't know if you have a HMRC "Gateway" online account. I do and found trying to understand its layout very confusing.
You should ask them how much interest they have you down as receiving and whether that matches up to your calculations, less the first £1000 they don't tax you on, not forgetting any ISA's you have.

Yes I opened a Gateway account but didn't make sense to me either, t seemed to be for people who did self assessment

Albermarle

kuepper said:

whattochoose said:

kuepper said:

whattochoose said:

Shylock_249 said:

whattochoose said:

The statement they've sent me I find a little incomprehensible and I really feel that I need to speak to a human being about this.

Speak to a human? That would be a bit "touch and go" if you were speaking to someone at HMRC. 😁

I'm glad I don't work for them, they must be under considerable stress, no one answers the phone immediately - usually 40 odd minutes - and it must be just one person after another phoning with problems.  It would probably be a good job if there were no customers like ourselves. 😊

It took three calls but I was able to find resolution eventually. First person I spoke was useless, in fact I was cut off. Second lady was excellent and had all the patience in the world. This left one issue which I was able to sort out with the third lady I spoke to, who was also good.
Yes, there was a lot of time waiting for someone to answer, but I have been able to reduce tax they said was underpaid (£350) to £19.
Relatively happy then, just relieved I don't have to conduct business with HMRC every week.

I phoned earlier and took 55 minutes (the predicted time was 40 mins) to speak to someone who just baffled me on the same issue of untaxed interest . I asked him where was my nearest tax office to go to to sort the matter out and he said there wasn't one. I'll try and summon up the willpower to phone again and hopefully get someone more helpful

It's pretty dreadful really, and you should be able to go to a local tax enquiry office for help, as was the case when I worked for them, and it was me helping confused taxpayers.
I don't know if you have a HMRC "Gateway" online account. I do and found trying to understand its layout very confusing.
You should ask them how much interest they have you down as receiving and whether that matches up to your calculations, less the first £1000 they don't tax you on, not forgetting any ISA's you have.

Yes I opened a Gateway account but didn't make sense to me either, t seemed to be for people who did self assessment

It is for people who do self assessment, and for those who do not as well. 

monkey-fingers

Albermarle said:

kuepper said:

whattochoose said:

kuepper said:

whattochoose said:

Shylock_249 said:

whattochoose said:

The statement they've sent me I find a little incomprehensible and I really feel that I need to speak to a human being about this.

Speak to a human? That would be a bit "touch and go" if you were speaking to someone at HMRC. 😁

I'm glad I don't work for them, they must be under considerable stress, no one answers the phone immediately - usually 40 odd minutes - and it must be just one person after another phoning with problems.  It would probably be a good job if there were no customers like ourselves. 😊

It took three calls but I was able to find resolution eventually. First person I spoke was useless, in fact I was cut off. Second lady was excellent and had all the patience in the world. This left one issue which I was able to sort out with the third lady I spoke to, who was also good.
Yes, there was a lot of time waiting for someone to answer, but I have been able to reduce tax they said was underpaid (£350) to £19.
Relatively happy then, just relieved I don't have to conduct business with HMRC every week.

I phoned earlier and took 55 minutes (the predicted time was 40 mins) to speak to someone who just baffled me on the same issue of untaxed interest . I asked him where was my nearest tax office to go to to sort the matter out and he said there wasn't one. I'll try and summon up the willpower to phone again and hopefully get someone more helpful

It's pretty dreadful really, and you should be able to go to a local tax enquiry office for help, as was the case when I worked for them, and it was me helping confused taxpayers.
I don't know if you have a HMRC "Gateway" online account. I do and found trying to understand its layout very confusing.
You should ask them how much interest they have you down as receiving and whether that matches up to your calculations, less the first £1000 they don't tax you on, not forgetting any ISA's you have.

Yes I opened a Gateway account but didn't make sense to me either, t seemed to be for people who did self assessment

It is for people who do self assessment, and for those who do not as well. 

Yes. I've previously been PAYE and have had a GG account since they first came out to keep my eye on my tax code (and also I used to have to reclaim my expenses, because I was using a private vehicle and my company only paid out minimum mileage based on company cars)