HMRC to commence new Personal Tax Query Resolution Service for Agents

An escalation service for complex cases was one of our ten key recommendations from our joint CIOT / ICAEW report Tackling HMRC's customer service challenge, which we published December 2024. We are really pleased to see the introduction of this service and look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with HMRC as they roll it out. As always, we always welcome feedback from members. If you do have any feedback on this new service, please do send to [email protected].

HMRC's message to agents

Dear agent, 

We recognise the valuable role that you play in the smooth running of the tax system. We are constantly listening to your feedback and looking for ways of improving our service. 

Yesterday, James Murray, Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury (XST) announced at the ICAEW - CIOT conference that we’d be introducing a new service for agents on 31 March, to help escalate and resolve PAYE and Self-Assessment queries. 

What the service will offer 

The new service will focus on PAYE and Self-Assessment queries that our Agent Dedicated Line or Agent Webchat haven’t resolved.  

Before you can use the service you must:  

• check the Where’s my Reply tool, with at least 20 working days having passed from the reply date given by the tool, and 
• tried at least twice to resolve the query by contacting the Agent Dedicated Line or Agent Webchat 

You can contact the service by emailing our dedicated mailbox which can be found on GOV.UK from 31 March. In response, we’ll: 

• contact you within 48 hours to acknowledge the query  
• provide an update every 5 working days by telephony 
• aim to resolve your query within 20 working days, or make an action plan if we can’t 

How you can help 

To help us resolve queries within the set timeframe, please:  

• provide all relevant information and documentation that we ask for to help us resolve the query  
• respond promptly if we ask for clarification, or more information  
• don’t chase a query before the 20 working days have passed 
• don’t use this service to chase repayments, chase postal delays or queries relating to Making Tax Digital 

Your feedback is important to us  

We’ll review and improve the new service regularly to make sure we’re meeting agents’ needs. So it’s important you give us your feedback once we’ve resolved a query.  

We’re grateful for the continued support of agent representative bodies, in helping to shape our services to meet the needs of their members. Once the service is in place, we’ll look at expanding it beyond PAYE and Self Assessment queries. 

Yours faithfully 

HM Revenue and Customs

END