HMRC’s self-assessment helpline has finally reopened after a three-month closure, giving taxpayers the opportunity to speak to an advisor. However, those callers hoping to get some phone help from HMRC will likely have to wait a bit longer.
According to some who have attempted to access the helpline, waiting times of up to an hour were the norm as callers battled to reach an advisor.
HMRC said the first phase of the process has helped its agents deal with 250,000 additional repayments and that “reopening the helpline is simply the next phase of the trial.”
HMRC noted that encouraging customers to use its digital channels was “crucial to improving our customer services".
A spokesperson added: "As expected, the helpline has been busy since it re-opened. Many customers can get an answer to their query quicker by going online and should use these services if they can. This will help ensure customers who need to speak to an advisor are able to do so.
In the meantime, it seems that HMRC’s current average wait time has since dropped to 30 minutes.
