You can contact HMRC by post, telephone or online.
By post
The main way that HMRC will contact you is by letter. You can send letters, forms, tax returns and other documents to them by mail.
HMRC will send documents to the address they have on record for you.
If you send something to HMRC, make sure you include your National Insurance number and any tax reference number you may have. This means they can find your records and respond to your communication.
HMRC acknowledge that there can be long delays in responding to communications sent by post. You can find information about when to expect a reply on the HMRC website (this doesn’t apply to general correspondence).
Telephone
HMRC have designated phone lines for different areas:
- Self-Assessment helpline: 0300 200 3310
- Child Benefits helpline: 0300 200 3100
- Employer helpline: 0300 200 3200
- Income Tax helpline: 0300 200 3300
- National Insurance helpline: 0300 200 3500
- HMRC online services helpdesk: 0300 200 3600
If you contact HMRC by phone you may find that there a long wait times. HMRC phone lines can also sometimes be temporarily closed.
HMRC digital assistant
HMRC recommend using their digital assistant instead of using the telephone if you have not registered for online services. The digital assistant can direct you to information and/or to a live webchat with HMRC staff to help you with your questions.
Personal Tax Account
Using an online Personal Tax Account is usually the quickest way to communicate with HMRC.
A Personal Tax Account gives you access to a wide range of information about your tax. You can also register for Self Assessment if you need to.
There are a few steps to follow to set this up.
The first step is to create sign in details for Government Gateway. This will let you access government services, including a Personal Tax Account, and protect your information. It should only take a few minutes to set this up. You will need:
- Your mobile or landline number (for the 2-step security process)
- The e-mail address that you wish to use to access the account.
Follow the steps outlined on the create sign in details for Government Gateway page.
Once you’ve created your Government Gateway login, you can visit this link to create your Personal Tax Account. Follow the steps to set up the account.
The HMRC App
If you have a Personal Tax Account, you can use the HMRC App to access your account. The app is available from the AppStore and GooglePlay.