Our investigation shows HMRC failed to answer more than 1.5 million phone calls between April and September. For the few who got through, they faced average wait times that hit a ridiculous 23 minutes. Taxpayers are having their valuable time wasted on an industrial scale, forced to abandon attempts to deal with the department they fund. The message is clear: highly-paid mandarins want the money, but they certainly don’t want to deal with the public.
Complaints to HMRC rose from 21,932 in 2021-22 to 40,009 in 2024-25.
Joanna Marchong, the investigations campaign manager at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “Taxpayers are contributing record amounts to the public purse, yet the quality of service from HMRC is deteriorating. The rise in complaints reflects growing frustration with delays, poor communication and a lack of responsiveness. Ministers should ensure that HMRC delivers value for money by providing the efficient, high-quality service that taxpayers have every right to expect.”
The full investigation was covered in the Times and is available here.