There are three ways in which you can communicate with HMRC, and they can communicate with you:
- By post: HMRC will send notices, and other information to you using mail sent to the address they have on record for you. Letters, claims, and tax returns can be sent to them.
- By telephone: HMRC have designated telephone numbers for general enquiries. Individual officers or offices may provide a number to respond to a letter they have sent.
- Online. This is HMRC’s preferred form of communication, but for security and data protection reasons, you will have to register to use this service and this process may take some days for passwords to be sent to you.
Postal communication
This is still the default method of HMRC communicating with you. You can send letters, forms, and other documents by mail, using the addresses they publicise.
If you do send anything to HMRC by mail, you should ensure that you include your National Insurance Number and any tax reference number that you have, so that they can retrieve your records to respond to your communication.
It is acknowledged by HMRC that there can be long delays in dealing with communications sent by mail and there is a facility on their website to ask when a reply to certain forms should be received https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-when-you-can-expect-a-reply-from-hmrc. This does not apply to general correspondence.
Telephone
HMRC have designated phone lines for different subjects:
- 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.
HMRC have been frequently criticised for the length of time that callers must wait before their call is answered and some phone lines have been closed for part of the year. It is therefore likely that you may have some difficulty in contacting HMRC by telephone.
HMRC Digital Assistant
HMRC recommend the use of their digital assistant rather than using the telephone if you have not already registered for online services. This is available at https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/ask-hmrc/chat/online-services-helpdesk.
The Digital Assistant can direct you to sources of information and to a live webchat with an HMRC member of staff who should be able to deal with some questions and enqui
ries.
Online communication with HMRC.
If the option is available to you, this is usually the quickest way to communicate with HMRC.
To protect your personal information, registration is required to access government services through the Government Gateway. Via this gateway you can then create a Personal Tax Account that gives you access to a wide range of information about your current tax position and state pension benefits.
From your Personal Tax Account you can then register for Self-Assessment if it is appropriate for you.
Your Personal Tax Account
The link to open a Personal Tax Account is https://www.gov.uk/personal-tax-account
The first step is to create sign in details for Government Gateway. This process involves setting up a security protocol and inputting your information, which should only take a few minutes. You will need
- Your mobile or landline number (for the 2-step security process)
- The e-mail address that you wish to use for access to the account.
For the purposes of setting up the Personal Tax Account some of the following information will be required:
- National Insurance Number
- A recent payslip
- Your most recent P60 or a current UK passport
- There are other forms of information that can be used in the process if necessary.
There is an easy-to-follow process to set up the account.
Registering for Self-Assessment and obtaining a Unique Taxpayer Reference (“UTR”)
If you need to file a tax return, then you will need to register for Self-Assessment, which can be done by mail or on-line. The process is quicker on-line and can either be accessed from your Personal Tax Account or by following this link https://www.gov.uk/register-for-self-assessment.
If you can’t or don’t want to register on-line you can apply by post using the form SA1 which you can find at the bottom of the page following this link: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/register-for-self-assessment-if-you-are-not-self-employed . You can also request this form by telephone using the self-assessment helpline mentioned above.
The HMRC App
If you have a Personal Tax Account, you can use the HMRC App to access your account. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/download-the-hmrc-app. The app is available from the AppStore and GooglePlay.
