How to complain about HMRC

Our experts at DSR Tax Refunds know how hard it is to find good, quality information about HMRC’s tax regulations that is easy to understand, and that’s why we have created these handy guides to tell you everything you need to know. Our aim is to make life easier for our clients and that is why we want to share our expertise with you. You can also call our friendly team on 0330 122 9972 – we’re the tax experts you can trust.

What should you do if you wish to make a complaint about HMRC?
HMRC recommend that you contact them as soon as possible if you have any form of complaint – whether you believe they have made a mistake regarding your tax or if you think they have delayed your case unreasonably. However, they do state that you need to continue to pay tax while your complaint is being dealt with – having an outstanding complaint against HMRC will not be considered to be a reasonable excuse to delay paying your taxes so you could risk fines and penalties.

How can you complain?
There are several methods you can use to make your complaint regarding HMRC.

Online: businesses and individuals are able to make an online complaint against HMRC but you will need to have a Government Gateway account first. Tax agents cannot use this method to make a complaint.

By phone or post: you can also complain by phone or by writing to HMRC. You will need your National Insurance number as well as your UTR (Unique Taxpayer Reference) or VAT number if these are applicable to you. You will also need to include your full name and contact details (including your address) as well as the details of your complaint and what you would like to see as the complaint resolution.

Can you authorise someone else to complain on your behalf?
Yes, you can. If you are unable to make the complaint yourself, you can appoint someone else to deal with HMRC on your behalf and they can make the complaint.

What should you expect if you complain to HMRC?
If you make a complaint against HMRC, they state that they will treat your complaint fairly, confidentially and give your issues due consideration. They will inform you of the person in charge of dealing with your complaint and keep you informed of any progress. Most importantly HMRC state that they will not treat you unfairly in any way just because you have made a complaint against them.

If HMRC agree that they have made a mistake when handling your case, they will consider refunding you any reasonable out of pocket costs, such as postage fees or professional fees. You will need to provide a receipt if you want HMRC to consider these.

What happens if you disagree with HMRC’s complaint resolution?
If you disagree, you can ask HMRC to reconsider their initial decision. HMRC will then pass your complaint on to a different adviser so it won’t be looked at by the same person who made the initial decision.

If you are still not happy with their response, you can ask the Adjudicator’s Office to take a look at your case. This service is free, so it won’t leave you out of pocket.

If you disagree with the Adjudicator’s Office, you can ask your MP to refer your complaint to the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman.

How can DSR Tax Refunds help?
We know that dealing with HMRC can be a complicated affair, even with our helpful guide to tell you everything you might need to know. It’s all very well reading about it and knowing what HMRC’s stand on it is – but how do you apply that to your own circumstances? It can seem like an absolute minefield but help is always available and you don’t need to battle through this alone. Our team of experts at DSR Tax Refunds are always on hand to help our clients and act as their tax agent and our excellent standing with HMRC means that we can make sure you don’t fall foul of their regulations, while claiming your maximum tax relief. We can even take care of all that paperwork and deal with HMRC on your behalf too. Call our friendly team on 0330 122 9972 – we’re the tax experts you can trust.