FabSwingers.com forum: hmrc tip.

By (user no longer on site) OP
over a year ago

I have had the displeasure of trying to call hmrc about my tax code. They put u on hold but after about fifteen minutes I lost patience and hung up.

A friend told me wait it out they seem to always answer you at exactly thirty minutes. It does work.

Alas they still got it wrong so got to call them again and lose thirty minutes I will never get back. Bastards!!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

They're a pain in the arse. I find it easier to go online and email them my number saying I've been trying to contact them. They soon call you if they think you owe them money.

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By *iewMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Angus & Findhorn

their wait time is shocking and the abandonment rate is amongst the worst in the industry

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I usually use the online method if I have any issues with my tax return etc

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By *andom2chatMan
over a year ago

A Galaxy Far, Far Away & Spain

I'm sure George will be on the case when he realises how much lost tax revenue it's costing.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's horrendous I put my phone on loud speaker and do stuff around the house whilst waiting...... An he seems to be the record

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

It's not really surprising given how many staff they've made redundant. Because "back office" public sector workers are completely dispensable.

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By *andy6677Man
over a year ago

crewe

As a government worker myself its a case of too few staff and too much work! HMRC have let go over 3500 staff thanks to cuts and due to government restrictions cannot replace them. They want you all to do it all online via website and this will be the way for all departments digital by default they call it! If you havent got a pc or know how to use one then its tough is there attitude!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

In their defence I find them exceedingly helpful when you do get through. I would say my satisfaction rate in dealing with HMRC is 100%.

And I hate paying the numerous different taxes I am liable for.

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By *edangel_2013Woman
over a year ago

southend

On my intranet system they are advertising for a director of some description paying in the region of 180k a year. Maybe they'll answer the phone!!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

A friend told me wait it out they seem to always answer you at exactly thirty minutes. It does work.

Alas they still got it wrong so got to call them again and lose thirty minutes I will never get back. Bastards!!!"

Your friend is wrong. Waiting time vary anywhere from 30 secs to an hour depending when you call. Until a few months ago I was one of these 'incompetent fools' as Martin Bloody Lewis and the Daily Mail like to call us, the time it takes to answer the phone depends on how any buffoons are calling us with stupid arsed questions like:

"how much tax will I pay next year?"

"Well that depends how much you earn..."

"That's a ridiculous answer.."

"Ok, hang on while I get my crystal ball then and I'll give you a better answer once I've read your stars and I've psychically worked out how much you're going to earn"

HMRC call centre staff work their arses off and get no credit whatsoever. They take stick all day, get shouted at all day and 99.9% of the time they get things right. Of course mistakes are made, they're only human and I guarantee not one person who complains has never made a single mistake in their jobs....

Yes the waiting times are rubbish, but that's due to losing 10,000 staff over the last 5 years, not down to people who can't be arsed to do their job and pick up a phone.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

I'd just like to find an email Address to complain to...But after35mins I gave up as every link just took me to somewhere else.

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By *andom2chatMan
over a year ago

A Galaxy Far, Far Away & Spain

Interesting perspective from the HMRC staff & my heart goes out to them, especially at the busiest times of the year when the year end deadline approaches. After the panic I had with losing my UTR, password & even my log in ID they managed to help me get everything I needed with 2 days to spare. That's not the staffs fault that they can't send it all out all at once, but down to regulations they need to adhere to. The call wait times are deplorable but that's what happens when you cut that amount of staff (who incidentally all paid tax too & spending money on their local economy).

It's an inconvenience & waste of precious time for the self-employed to wait on a call, try & get help etc but I'll be damned sure to keep my info safe for next year. Get used to it, because Osbourne will make damned sure of more staff cuts as our public services diminish & the civil servants jobs gets slashed in the name of austerity - but that's what we voted in.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

A friend told me wait it out they seem to always answer you at exactly thirty minutes. It does work.

Alas they still got it wrong so got to call them again and lose thirty minutes I will never get back. Bastards!!!

"how much tax will I pay next year?"

"Well that depends how much you earn..."

"That's a ridiculous answer.."

"Ok, hang on while I get my crystal ball then and I'll give you a better answer once I've read your stars and I've psychically worked out how much you're going to earn"

Yes the waiting times are rubbish, but that's due to losing 10,000 staff over the last 5 years, not down to people who can't be arsed to do their job and pick up a phone. "

Fair post.

There's often been threads where people brag about how abusive they are to people that work in call centres. They seem to think it's funny. Yet it's often the same people that cry and whine about other people being abusive to them on here.

Just shows them up as pathetic.

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By *p to playMan
over a year ago

swad

[Removed by poster at 04/07/15 18:47:32]

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By *p to playMan
over a year ago

swad

Try 1hour 30mins to be told i need to fill in a tax return as iam self employed do that's wrong as i am not self employed not ever think they cocked up somewhere

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

had the same misfortune and had two 45 minutes calls without any joy. eventually got through by phoning at 8am. seems just after lines open is best time

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By *andy57TV/TS
over a year ago

york

I have had so many problems over the last two years o ended up reporting it to the financial obudsman they soon bloody contacted me to sort it out the more people complain to the Financial body the more notice is given at the end of the day they are trying to run it like a business so why not be responsible for the incompetence

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By *ce WingerMan
over a year ago

P.O. Box DE1 0NQ

"[Removed by poster at 04/07/15 18:47:32]"

Must have hung up

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

They are complete wankers and it's just a money making racket. I have nothing but bad memories of HMRC.

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By *ophieslutTV/TS
over a year ago

Central

"It's not really surprising given how many staff they've made redundant. Because "back office" public sector workers are completely dispensable. "

. We can't vote for cuts in all departments and then be surprised if we get inferior services.

I always write to them, so there's no claim upon me for non-disclosure.

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"They are complete wankers and it's just a money making racket. I have nothing but bad memories of HMRC.

Taxes collected pay for the nhs by the way...

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By *he_tykiesCouple
over a year ago

West Yorkshire.

I had the need to call them on Friday. From start to finish about 5 mins incl the 1 min spiel to start with all my details. All dealt with spot on by a guy who genuinely appeared to know his stuff!.....

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By *hornycoupleCouple
over a year ago

Liverpool

A lot of staff are being pulled off their normal jobs and getting put on phone cover for 8 wks, complete n utter shambles, plus everyone is still waiting for their derisory pay rise of 1%, just have to let the unions "pretend" to thrash it out with the big guns in their luxury building in parliament st, just don't get me started on building our future claptrap either!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Ive rang so many times and cant get through... The one time i did get through i was on hold for 2hrs and 12 mins for them to say sorry to keep you waiting my name is.......... Then they hung up aaaaaaahhhhhhhh... Bastards just bastards!!!!! So frustrating as im still on emergency tax code..... Guess im just seeing it as a saving account now!

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

"I had the need to call them on Friday. From start to finish about 5 mins incl the 1 min spiel to start with all my details. All dealt with spot on by a guy who genuinely appeared to know his stuff!....."

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

Most company's actually get paid by the phone company to leave you on hold, in may only be a few pence per minute, but considering the average waiting time is 30 minutes plus, that's more than enough to cover the call centre operatives wages for that enquiry

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By *iss_tressWoman
over a year ago

London

"I have had the displeasure of trying to call hmrc about my tax code. They put u on hold but after about fifteen minutes I lost patience and hung up.

A friend told me wait it out they seem to always answer you at exactly thirty minutes. It does work.

Alas they still got it wrong so got to call them again and lose thirty minutes I will never get back. Bastards!!!"

You do realise the government is drastically cutting down on civil service staff right? You can therefore do the simple maths: same/increased volume of calls, less staff to answer equals...?!!

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By *iss_tressWoman
over a year ago

London

"It's not really surprising given how many staff they've made redundant. Because "back office" public sector workers are completely dispensable. "

Looks like only you and I so far are able to work that out...and I'm shit with figures.

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By *iss_tressWoman
over a year ago

London

A friend told me wait it out they seem to always answer you at exactly thirty minutes. It does work.

Alas they still got it wrong so got to call them again and lose thirty minutes I will never get back. Bastards!!!

"how much tax will I pay next year?"

"Well that depends how much you earn..."

"That's a ridiculous answer.."

"Ok, hang on while I get my crystal ball then and I'll give you a better answer once I've read your stars and I've psychically worked out how much you're going to earn"

Yes the waiting times are rubbish, but that's due to losing 10,000 staff over the last 5 years, not down to people who can't be arsed to do their job and pick up a phone. "

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By *iss_tressWoman
over a year ago

London

"Interesting perspective from the HMRC staff & my heart goes out to them, especially at the busiest times of the year when the year end deadline approaches. After the panic I had with losing my UTR, password & even my log in ID they managed to help me get everything I needed with 2 days to spare. That's not the staffs fault that they can't send it all out all at once, but down to regulations they need to adhere to. The call wait times are deplorable but that's what happens when you cut that amount of staff (who incidentally all paid tax too & spending money on their local economy).

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By (user no longer on site)
over a year ago

NHS, welfare, HMRC....where do people expect the cuts to be made?

I suggest people change their expectations of state provided services. We voted for more severe cuts, extended call waiting times is one of the smaller costs of that voting decision.

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By *iewMan
Forum Mod
over a year ago

Angus & Findhorn

The cuts are absolutely a factor, but their operational metrics were shit long before the cuts.

They have just got worse.

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