Queue time for UK tax helplines now worse than in pandemic

Harriet Baldwin, who chairs the Treasury committee, has complained to HMRC over helpline restrictions. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Observer

Call waiting times for the government’s tax helplines are worse than during the pandemic, with HM Revenue and Customs now restricting access for millions of taxpayers.

Accountants warn that callers face waits of up to an hour to get through, while some people have reported being cut off before a call is even answered. The most recent figures reveal the average time for a call to be answered was nearly 24 minutes in October, compared with less than 10 minutes in October 2020.