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Select Committee · Public Accounts Committee

HMRC Customer Service and Accounts 2023-24

Status: Closed Opened: 31 Oct 2024 Closed: 3 Apr 2025 10 recommendations 12 conclusions 1 report

HMRC reported the highest tax revenues on record in 2023-24, reflecting the freezing of income tax bands and thresholds, and an increase in the rate of Corporation Tax from 19% to 25%. Tax debt has now fallen marginally, but remains significantly higher than before the pandemic - £43bn in March 2024, down 1.9% since 2023, …

Clear

Reports

1 report
Title HC No. Published Items Response
3rd Report - HMRC Customer Service and Accounts HC 347 22 Jan 2025 22 Responded

Recommendations & Conclusions

3 items
2 Recommendation 3rd Report - HMRC Customer Service and… Rejected

Allocate sufficient resources to HMRC customer service and establish service level guard rails.

HMRC’s digital services have not sufficiently reduced demand on the phone and HMRC has failed to prioritise the resources needed to sustain an appropriate standard of telephone service. HMRC has been working to become a ‘digital-first’ organisation since 2010 and hopes to replace traditional forms of contact with digital services. …

Government response. The government rejects the recommendation, stating it already proactively reviews and adjusts resourcing levels daily and weekly, and continuously discusses performance and resource needs with HM Treasury and ministers.
HM Treasury
9 Conclusion 3rd Report - HMRC Customer Service and… Rejected

HMRC faces resource shortages as taxpayer numbers and complexity continue to increase.

HMRC says it has not had enough resources to deal with all the contact it has been receiving.17 It estimates that in the last two years, the number of taxpayers in the income tax system has increased by 3 million as a result of the freezing of income tax thresholds. …

Government response. The government disagrees with the conclusion that HMRC has been too willing to let its telephone services fail and states that improving customer services is one of the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury's priorities. It says it will publish a …
HM Treasury
13 Conclusion 3rd Report - HMRC Customer Service and… Rejected

HMRC reversed controversial helpline closures following public criticism, with no further plans.

HMRC closed or reduced the queries it handles on four helplines in 2023–24. For the largest change, the trial closure of the Self Assessment helpline in summer 2023, it gave customers only two working days’ notice.31 HMRC said it was not entirely clear what customers would have gained from having …

Government response. The government disagrees with the conclusion that HMRC has been too willing to let its telephone services fail and states that improving customer services is one of the Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury's priorities. It says it will publish a …
HM Treasury

Oral evidence sessions

1 session
Date Witnesses
28 Nov 2024 Justin Holliday · HMRC, Myrtle Lloyd · HMRC, Sir Jim Harra · HMRC View ↗

Correspondence

4 letters
DateDirectionTitle
4 Sep 2025 To cttee Letter from the Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary of HM Revenue and…
6 Feb 2025 From cttee Letter to the Chief Executive and First Permanent Secretary of HM Revenue and C…
22 Jan 2025 From cttee Letter to the Permanent Secretary of HM Revenue and Customs relating to Third R…
22 Jan 2025 To cttee Letter from the Permanent Secretary of HM Revenue and Customs relating to Third…