HMRC recently contacted us to ask if we would share their communication which advises of a change in policy on what information will not be shared with agents contacting HMRC by phone.

HMRC’s tell us that this change in policy was first implemented in May 2017 as part of a project to explore ways to reduce demand coming into Customer Service Operations and in particular requests for taxpayer information that can be sourced elsewhere.

HMRC are seeing high demand, in the main from the High Volume Repayment sector, for client information on bankruptcy, existing Deeds of Assignment, Section 9a enquiries (opened, ongoing or previously opened) or Individual Voluntary Agreements.

According to HMRC, this information can be obtained by agents direct from their client without the need to contact HMRC enabling resource to be freed up to deal more quickly with calls where contact with HMRC is essential.

The update from HMRC reads as follows:-

“We will not provide agents with:

• pay and tax information. If your clients do not have a P60 and are unable to get this information from their Personal Tax Account or their employer, then we will provide this information directly to your clients, by letter
• any client information on bankruptcy, existing Deeds of Assignment, Section 9a enquiries (opened, ongoing or previously opened) or Individual Voluntary Agreements as this is information that is available from your client
• any other employment history information such as P11D benefits received, unless it is to complete a Self-Assessment (SA) return for an existing SA customer. We will continue to supply this information until our new digital service is switched on for agents later in the year”

END OF HMRC COMMUNICATION