We have seen many instances recently of HMRC completely failing to deal with paperwork. It seems that many HMRC departments are simply not answering correspondence.

We have cases where companies have applied for certain tax or VAT treatments, which will almost certainly be granted.  However months go by with no answer forthcoming. We telephone HMRC, using agent dedicated lines, only to be fobbed off with “we will be able to deal with this soon”….mañana mañana.

We have clients with drastically incorrect tax codes – these have to be applied by law even when they are utterly wrong. And yet HMRC won’t action the letters spelling out the changes that need to be made.

We could go on. We know of many cases where taxpayers are having “problems” with HMRC simply due to HMRC themselves apparently not reading letters sent to them.

And it’s not just us. Numerous articles in the tax press are highlighting similar issues.

So what is to be done? Persistence and professionalism will win through in the end. Penalties will be reversed. Tax calculations will be corrected. In some cases compensation will be sought.

One day HMRC will be fully automated…thankfully you and I will have all long since retired or our busyness will be elsewhere….