HMRC talks to ICAEW. Say Agent line 'still exists'

You cannot be serious

Didn't find your answer?

https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-news/2021/april-2021/calls-to-hmrcs-a...

 

Agent line 'still exists' (really?) but good news, we are now allowed to deal with 2 clients in same call, but only if HMRC have the capacity.

Has ICAEW lost it completely. I accept ICAEW is not a tax agent but surely they could talk to at least one member who is or do a google search asking about agent line.

If they did then Aweb would appear with nothing but constant complaints

Replies (13)

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By Duggimon
28th Apr 2021 14:36

The relevant paragraph of course is here:

"ICAEW’s Tax Faculty is in ongoing discussions with HMRC about restoring priority access to the ADL which was suspended at the start of the pandemic. HMRC has not yet been able to offer any indication of when priority access might be restored."

This is the main issue with the (lack of) ADL - it's not the inability to discuss multiple clients, it's the 45 minutes before anyone answers.

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Replying to Duggimon:
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By Paul Crowley
28th Apr 2021 14:50

I know
I have been doing multiple clients on one call for years
People answering on 'ADL' do not know they are talking to an agent, it goes in the general queue answered by next operative.
None have responded suggesting how long until next break. Operative on both occasions in the last month confirmed what I state here.
As such therefore ADL does not operate
We used to get the better quality operatives and they knew it was an agent calling on agent line.
That is no longer the case

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Replying to Duggimon:
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By More unearned luck
28th Apr 2021 15:10

Would The tax fac's statement mean something different if the word 'ongoing' was deleted?

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By carnmores
28th Apr 2021 14:43

sadly they lost the plot some time ago , over institutionalised. I should have taken them to Court when i had the chance in 2008. Some of the documents that i had showed a clear conspiracy as jobsworths protected their positions.

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By Paul D Utherone
28th Apr 2021 14:55

"HMRC has confirmed that while there is no set number of clients an agent can discuss with one of its advisers, they are only able to spend an hour at a time on the phone due to health and safety requirements."
- Yet Agents are expected to wait longer than that for someone to answer listening to that blahdy on-hold music and regular assertions that "your call is important and you can find more information on the HMRC website". And of course sodslaw says that the minute you wander to the loo with your bluetooth headset on they will at long last answer!

"On taking a call, the HMRC adviser should now confirm with the agent how much time is left before their next break to allow the caller to prioritise their queries. If a call adviser doesn’t offer this information, then agents are able to ask for it."

- Q: "When's your next break?" A: "In 5 minutes, so make it quick"

"Alongside the clarification HMRC called on agents to be “pragmatic” in what can be achieved in the time available."
- the most insensitive and totally unaware comment of the whole thing. HMRC staff need a break every 60 minutes, but for Agents it's the final line from the film Argo, or the response in Pressdram v Arkell

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Replying to Paul D Utherone:
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By Southwestbeancounter
28th Apr 2021 15:59

It's a complete disgrace!

I've got to phone about a NI query and also a MA transfer query but I don't have the time to waste two hours (as two different sections of HMRC) to get these issues sorted at the moment!!

This needs to get into mainstream news and then maybe someone will take some notice but at the moment it appears that no-one actually cares or in the words of 'our leader' no-one gives a monkeys!!

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Replying to Paul D Utherone:
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By frankfx
28th Apr 2021 16:10

Paul D Utherone wrote:

"HMRC has confirmed that while there is no set number of clients an agent can discuss with one of its advisers, they are only able to spend an hour at a time on the phone due to health and safety requirements."
- Yet Agents are expected to wait longer than that for someone to answer listening to that blahdy on-hold music and regular assertions that "your call is important and you can find more information on the HMRC website". And of course sodslaw says that the minute you wander to the loo with your bluetooth headset on they will at long last answer!

"On taking a call, the HMRC adviser should now confirm with the agent how much time is left before their next break to allow the caller to prioritise their queries. If a call adviser doesn’t offer this information, then agents are able to ask for it."

- Q: "When's your next break?" A: "In 5 minutes, so make it quick"

"Alongside the clarification HMRC called on agents to be “pragmatic” in what can be achieved in the time available."
- the most insensitive and totally unaware comment of the whole thing. HMRC staff need a break every 60 minutes, but for Agents it's the final line from the film Argo, or the response in Pressdram v Arkell

PDU

Enough to take up the bottle?

And Discover a world away from Hector's friends.

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/633670610048721689/

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Replying to frankfx:
By Paul D Utherone
28th Apr 2021 16:41

Frank... definitely!! Still not much longer for me now

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Replying to Paul D Utherone:
By SteveHa
30th Apr 2021 09:00

I was a senior TU official in HMRC for over 15 years, and was H&S rep. I couldn't recall a limit on call times for H&S purposes, but accepted that things may have changed.

It doesn't appear so, I still can't find a H&S limit. There may be other factors, but that's not what HMRC saying.

So do the ICAEW now take what HMRC say at face value, without even a modicum of research?

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ALISK
By atleastisoundknowledgable...
28th Apr 2021 16:22

I didn’t realise this - are we saying that I can spend 50mins on hold to get through to an operator who could then say that they only have 5 minutes before hanging up and going in their hourly break?

Disbelief- should defo get into the mainstream press. New clients are a bit sceptical whenever I slate HMRC - communication, processes, recording ...

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Red Leader
By Red Leader
28th Apr 2021 17:38

I gave up phoning a while ago. I can type out the letter with the request pretty quickly.

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By Open all hours
29th Apr 2021 17:09

Don’t know where the impression came from but I always thought we could ask three questions in any agent line call.

Having done the three I was in the habit of asking ‘Can I ask a fourth question?’ to which the answer was always ‘no’ but obviously I had already done so.

Yes, it is petty but that’s what comes of phoning HMRC on a regular basis over four decades.

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Replying to Open all hours:
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By Paul Crowley
29th Apr 2021 17:27

Brilliant

Still now it is unlimited per what HMRC say
Believe it when I hear it on the phone

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