Both the Institute for Chartered Accountants (ICAEW) and the Association for Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) believe HMRC need to address “poor service levels”.
The news comes from a report conducted by the ICAEW which found HMRC have struggled to maintain acceptable levels of service during the pandemic and needed swift investment for this to be rectified.
The ACCA echoed the ICAEW’s findings, with the watchdogs noting specific faults with HMRC, including;
• their decision-appeal system;
• being responsive to complaints;
• providing clear and consistent information;
• the trust registration service and;
• the online portal for reporting capital gains
Businesses were cited as the ultimate victim of HMRC’s issues, with unnecessary costs and frustrating inconveniences just two of the consequences of HMRC’s failings in these areas.
In their final thoughts, the watchdogs argued for immediate reform, calling for HMRC to publish clear recovery plans and to work more closely with various professional bodies to improve service levels.
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