Is it just me? Rant re HMRC

Is it just me? Rant re HMRC

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OK - this is mainly just letting off steam but as accountants do a lot of work for HMRC I think they should be trying to help us whenever we communicate with them.       I have had a number of occasions where I have failed security clearance when contacting HMRC and they won't tell me what the issue is.  One digit of my office postcode changed a while ago, which has caused issues, and the name of my specific office within the building has also been recorded in slightly varying forms in HMRC records, causing further issues.  We all know the necessity to comply with Data Protection regulations but the HMRC call centre staff seem to apply a no second-chance, no alternative policy which can be extremely frustrating.    I have asked for the call to be escalated to a supervisor on a couple of occasions and I have managed to resolve the issue - otherwise the standard response is "to write in", which of course will take a matter of weeks for the query to be addressed.  Sometimes it is possible to call back and speak to a different person .                                                                                                                                                                               I do receive calls from other contacts at HMRC (Trust Districts for instance) who obviously apply a more relaxed attitude and don't ask any security questions when calling me.    On Monday - after waiting for over 20 minutes to speak to someone - I provided my own name and address, the company's registered office address, trading address and PAYE reference, but failed the security procedure.  After escalating the call it became obvious that HMRC had a prior trading address on their system, and possibly an incorrect address for my office, which I couldn't see to advise that it was incorrect.....   OK, the client's trading address should be updated....but I was able to provide the previous trading address to satisfy the supervisor - an option I wasn't given by the first person dealing with my enquiry - which was purely to extend the PAYE registration to include CIS, as this can't be done online.  I was told that there were "new" security measures in place.                         So, yesterday I received a phone message from an HMRC operative asking me to call back, "by 8pm tomorrow" stating a PAYE reference that I didn't recognise.  On calling back, they started to ask the standard security questions and I said that as I was responding to their request for contact I would expect them to state the client before I went through security.  As they weren't prepared to proceed at all without going through security I told them that they would have to write to me and that it would take a number of weeks for me to open the letter and to respond - childish perhaps but it gave me some satisfaction at the time.                                                     I am wondering if others have experienced this and whether we can make representations via Closer Working etc as the attitude of HMRC can make our sometimes difficult work even more so.

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By Bikegirllisa
19th Jun 2013 13:19

Its not just you...

...I have taken to asking anyone that calls me to go through security checks, since they contacted me and not the other way around.

The minute I ask their mother's maiden name, the call usually ends.  Saves me a significant amount of time each day!

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By Moonbeam
19th Jun 2013 13:28

I never take calls from HMRC call centre staff

A very officious woman rang the other day and asked to be put through to the payroll dept. I said "there isn't one". She said she had information on a "potential employee" and would need to take me through security first.

I told her there was no way I was going to continue the call as I wouldn't be able to verify her. I then put the phone down. She probably was from HMRC - she sounded incompetent and badly enough trained to qualify for this honour.

I haven't had any correspondence since about any "potential" employee of mine or a client's.

I agree that HMRC's own verification systems are often over the top. Many of them can't spell, so often record correct information wrongly. In some cases, we will never be allowed through the net.

The joke is that if I were a real criminal, I would presumably have no problems gaining access to the information they hold.

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By happy
19th Jun 2013 13:36

You aren't alone

It's not just you!

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By pawncob
19th Jun 2013 14:22

However

I'm usually so pleased to get a phone call from HMRC that I don't bother with security checks!!

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