PAC report on HMRC performance: Not good enough

The House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts report on HMRC performance in 2022-23 published on 28 February (tinyurl.com/28sufj25) tells a tale of taxpayer woes bizarre accidents and unclear guidance. This is a tale that has oft been told before and it depicts a dissatisfactory state of affairs for tax professionals and their clients.

‘Taxpayer exasperation’

The committee expressed disappointment that the overall level of customer service provided by HMRC is at an ‘all time low’. Indeed the department did not meet any of the service standards it set to measure its customer service performance in 2022-23.

HMRC estimates there will be an additional four million income taxpayers between 2022-23 and 2028-29. Taxpayers’ tax affairs are also getting more complex with more people paying tax on dividends and investment income. These factors combine to put increased pressure on HMRC’s post and phone services...