The costs of calling HMRC

Posted by ShirleyM PM | on Tue, 28/09/2010 - 16:38 17048 51 comments | report

We have received a letter (agents copy) from HMRC, received 20 days after post date, but that is another story!

I tried to call the person who sent the letter only to discover the 0845 no on the letter is a general enquiry number (not a direct no) and ended up in the inevitable queue.

If I use our normal telephone I never know the costs per minute, but as I was using Skype I noticed the cost was 8p per minute! A 10 to 20 minute wait isn't unusual so the cost will probably be over £1, in addition to the time I have wasted while sitting in the queue.

Do HMRC gain any income from these calls? If so, maybe the queues are there for a reason, ie. to provide additional funds for HMRC?

Comments

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I agree

taxhound | Tue, 28/09/2010 - 17:03

Use the dedicated agent's line

jmwaa | Tue, 28/09/2010 - 17:04

check

neutru | Tue, 28/09/2010 - 17:20

Write to your MP

chatman | Tue, 28/09/2010 - 17:32

A total con

cymraeg_draig | Tue, 28/09/2010 - 18:40

Use a landline

paulwakefield1 | Wed, 29/09/2010 - 07:34

@ Paul

taxhound | Wed, 29/09/2010 - 08:47

Naive

ShirleyM | Wed, 29/09/2010 - 09:08

Not included in package

smooreaccountancy | Wed, 29/09/2010 - 11:31

"Hardly a con"

chatman | Wed, 29/09/2010 - 13:41

why?

cymraeg_draig | Wed, 29/09/2010 - 14:12

It a reception desk

murphy1 | Wed, 29/09/2010 - 14:21

As above

ACDWebb | Wed, 29/09/2010 - 14:31

Free calls are worse

mikewhit | Thu, 30/09/2010 - 17:43

Be careful what accusations you make

TomMcClelland | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 10:22

HRC - Call costs

markabacus | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 10:25

0845 or not

Anonymous | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 10:38

you what ?

oldersimon | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 10:55

So why does HMRC not use 0800

pauljohnston | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 11:07

Use bypass provider

kerpang | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 12:13

That tells you how IT literate HMRC is

kerpang | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 12:15

Sigh...

RogerMT | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 13:20

0845 Numbers

mora | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 13:35

0845 Numbers

mora | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 13:35

No it's not

jonbryce | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 13:58

Tom McLelland

chatman | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 14:28

Our experience of offering 0845

TomMcClelland | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 15:28

Tom McLelland

chatman | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 15:37

0845 numbers

taxhound | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 15:49

Hmmmm

TomMcClelland | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 16:00

Taxhound

ShirleyM | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 16:03

Should have kept my big mouth shut

TomMcClelland | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 16:15

@Tom

taxhound | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 16:47

0845 numbers not included in

pauljohnston | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 16:56

0845 scam

thomas34 | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 17:18

How attractive is 0800 to customers?

TomMcClelland | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 17:21

0845 v 0800 v 01/02/03

chatman | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 18:25

I wouldn't bother with an 0800 number.

SimonP | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 19:44

Thanks for a gentlemanly response

TomMcClelland | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 20:19

Just use 01,02,03

kerpang | Fri, 01/10/2010 - 20:35

0845 v 0800 v 01/02/03

richard.snape | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 00:22

0845 BIG CON - HOW DOES IT FEEL NOW YOU KNOW THAT YOU ARE BEING

spurs1952 | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 08:03

0800

pauljohnston | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 08:24

Some sense, and some nonsense

TomMcClelland | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 08:40

Tom

thomas34 | Sat, 02/10/2010 - 09:11

I wouldn’t mind if I got through

kevinringer | Mon, 04/10/2010 - 14:02

Telephone response to HMRC letters

rainbow | Mon, 11/10/2010 - 10:37

Me too!

ShirleyM | Mon, 11/10/2010 - 12:12

A much cheaper way.......

aNonnyMouse | Tue, 12/10/2010 - 16:02

Creative dialling

mikewhit | Wed, 13/10/2010 - 12:41