London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Sep 03, 2025

HMRC trials answer by text system to cut call queues

HMRC trials answer by text system to cut call queues

Routine calls to HM Revenue and Customs will be answered by text, rather than by a human, in a trial aimed at improving its customer service record.

From Thursday, the tax authority will send a direct website link by text to some people who want to find their reference number or reset a password.

It is expecting 170,000 calls this month with simple questions before the self-assessment tax return deadline.

MPs have slammed HMRC for a poor call handling record over the years.

More than 12 million people are required to complete tax self-assessments online before 31 January, but some are left frustrated by long waits on HMRC's phonelines when trying to get help.

The trial will continue until the start of April, and is designed to free up the call handlers for more complex issues.

A text answer will be triggered based on a customer's reason for calling. Routine requests that will be answered with a text and a website link include:

* Locating a Unique Tracking Taxpayer Reference (UTR) number

* Registering for HMRC online services

* Resetting a lost or forgotten online service password or user ID

Callers will also be given the option to receive an online link or speak to someone to deal with other inquiries such as help filling in their tax return, getting a National Insurance by letter, or requests for income and employment history.

Similar technology has been widely adopted by other businesses and services, and is far from cutting-edge, but HMRC is battling against a poor customer service reputation.

Earlier this month, the Public Accounts Committee of MPs said that taxpayers and their accountants were receiving an unacceptable level of service from HMRC.

The number of tax authority customer service staff has been cut from 25,500 to 19,500 in the last five years.

"We were surprised to learn that at times in the past, HMRC has simply closed its telephone line when it could not cope with demand. It is not acceptable not to answer calls from people who are trying to pay the government money," the committee said.

It said that HMRC's plan was to move people onto better-received online services, but it questioned whether this would reduce demand for phonelines, improve the quality of service, or be appropriate for all circumstances or customers.

Richard West, director of personal tax operations at HMRC, said: "Redirecting these sorts of queries to online services should help customers find the answer more quickly. It also means calls from customers during the current self-assessment peak, whose questions cannot easily be answered online and require help from an adviser, get the appropriate support they need.

"Customers who cannot use digital services will be able to get support in the normal way. This is available through our telephony service and through our extra support team for those who have difficulty using our other services."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Court of Appeal Allows Asylum Seekers to Remain at Essex Hotel Amid Local Tax Boycott Threats
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
Nvidia Reveals: Two Mystery Customers Account for About 40% of Revenue
Woody Allen: "I Would Be Happy to Direct Trump Again in a Film"
Pickles are the latest craze among Generation Z in the United States.
Deadline Day Delivers Record £125m Isak Move and Donnarumma to City
Nestlé Removes CEO Laurent Freixe Following Undisclosed Relationship with Subordinate
Giuliani Seriously Injured in Accident – Trump to Award Him the Presidential Medal of Freedom
EU is getting aggressive: Four AfD Candidates Die Unexpectedly Ahead of North Rhine-Westphalia Local Elections
Lula and Putin Hold Strategic BRICS Discussions Ahead of Trump–Putin Summit
WhatsApp is rolling out a feature that looks a lot like Telegram.
Investigations Reveal Rise in ‘Sex-for-Rent’ Listings Across Canada Exploiting Vulnerable Tenants
Chinese and Indian Leaders Pursue Amity Amid Global Shifts
European Union Plans for Ukraine Deployment
ECB Warns Against Inflation Complacency
Concerns Over North Cyprus Casino Development
Shipping Companies Look Beyond Chinese Finance
Rural Exodus Fueling European Wildfires
China Hosts Major Security Meeting
Chinese Police Successfully Recover Family's Savings from Livestream Purchases
Germany Marks a Decade Since Migrant Wave with Divisions, Success Stories, and Political Shifts
Liverpool Defeat Arsenal 1–0 with Szoboszlai Free-Kick to Stay Top of Premier League
Prince Harry and King Charles to Meet in First Reunion After 20 Months
Chinese Stock Market Rally Fueled by Domestic Investors
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
Ukrainian Nationalist Politician Andriy Parubiy Assassinated in Lviv
Corporate America Cuts Middle Management as Bosses Take On Triple the Workload
Parents Sue OpenAI After Teen’s Death, Alleging ChatGPT Encouraged Suicide
Amazon Faces Lawsuit Over 'Buy' Label on Digital Streaming Content
×