TaxAid helpline

If English is not your first language, please get a friend to help you understand this information. If you need to talk to TaxAid, please get a friend who speaks English to ring our helpline for you.

Please note that TaxAid is not an alternative to seeking help from HMRC (0300 200 3300). HMRC can help with most tax queries and has access to and can change your tax records.

If you are aged 60+ (and not self-employed) and on a low income (strictly under £20,000 pa) and cannot resolve matters with HMRC, you should contact Tax Help for Older People on 01308 488066 www.taxvol.org.uk.

TaxAid offers free, independent and confidential advice to UK taxpayers on a low income who haven’t been able to sort out their tax issues with HMRC and who are aged under 60, or who are self-employed. By low income we mean current individual income of £20,000 per annum or below.

All our advice is given by qualified tax professionals.

TaxAid does not provide advice on Corporation Tax (Limited Companies), Tax Planning, Tax Credits, Benefits, Council Tax or non-UK tax issues. If you have a Tax Credits problem that has not been resolved by contacting HMRC, you should contact Citizen’s Advice www.citizensadvice.org.uk.

If you are calling from a voluntary organisation on behalf of a client, please look at the ‘Information for Advisers’ page https://taxaid.org.uk/guides/voluntary-sector-advisers.

For advice on your own tax affairs (or those of a friend or family member) please phone TaxAid’s Helpline 0345 120 3779 (Mon-Fri between 9am and 5pm) and have your paperwork available. We are a charity with limited resources – please do not ask us for advice if your current income is more than £20,000 per annum, or if you qualify for assistance from Tax Help for Older People. Please try to resolve matters with HMRC before contacting us. If you wish to appoint a paid adviser see: https://taxaid.org.uk/guides/taxpayers/choosing-an-accountant-or-tax-adviser.

Telephone advice

When you call us, make sure that you have any paperwork and recent correspondence, including that from HMRC, relating to your tax problem. We will need to ask about your income in order to be able to advise. We will then discuss your problem with you and try to help on the telephone. Most problems can be handled in this way.We regret that our line is sometimes engaged – we are a small charity helping many clients. If you do not get through at first, please keep trying.

You could send your enquiry by completing the ‘contact us’ form (see link at bottom of this page), but as a small, busy charity we cannot promise to reply to all queries.

Clients with mental health problems

A small but significant number of TaxAid’s clients indicate that they suffer, or have suffered, from mental health problems (or ‘mental illness’). Such clients require special care and attention from TaxAid. Please let your adviser know if you are now receiving, or have in the recent past received, treatment: it may affect how HMRC deal with your tax problem.

Callers who are deaf or have hearing impairments

Our advisers welcome calls via Text Relay and Text Relay Assist – please call 020 7803 4950 to get advice via Text Relay or Text Relay Assist. We can also advise via Talk-By-Text (by appointment only – please use contact form below to let us know you’d like to use Talk-By-Text).

Confidentiality

The information that you give to your adviser will normally remain completely confidential and will not be disclosed to anyone outside TaxAid (including HM Revenue and Customs) without your consent.

The only exceptions to the above rule are where TaxAid is required by law to pass information to the authorities (e.g. in relation to terrorism and dealing in drugs) or where there is a serious risk of physical harm to yourself or someone else.

On occasion calls may be recorded for training purposes: confidentiality rules still apply.

Meetings and further help

If the problem is more complicated, our helpline adviser may offer an appointment in London, Birmingham, Manchester, or Newcastle where you will be seen by a qualified tax professional.

As far as possible, the approach in our meetings is to resolve the immediate crisis and explain what you need to do in the future to “self-help” by dealing with the tax authorities yourself. Your adviser will discuss the problem with you and review any paperwork you have brought. Sometimes it helps to resolve the problem if we can contact HM Revenue and Customs during the meeting, although we would never do so without your permission.

Your adviser will answer any questions you may have and explain what you might do to help your situation. If necessary, you may return to us for further help as matters progress.

If you cannot get to any of our appointment venues, there are other ways that we can help. We may put you in touch with an extra support team within HMRC if that is the most appropriate way to resolve your tax problem.

Coming to your appointment

Appointments are usually confirmed by letter or email, including directions to our advice sessions. Please note that we can see people by appointment only.
Disabled access can be arranged so please let us know if you require wheelchair access or any other special arrangements.

If, for any reason, you are not able to phone our helpline you can send us an email here: Contact us form