HMRC to launch personal-tax query resolution service as part of wider measures to improve the tax system

Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the formation of HMRC, we review some new initiatives designed to improve the experience of taxpayers and agents when interacting with HMRC.

We often receive feedback from our members about their experience of dealing with HMRC, whether that’s dealing with their own tax affairs or those of their clients. 

For some time, we’ve called for the broader transformation of HMRC’s digital services and for the government to provide HMRC with sufficient resources to expand its digital services, both for taxpayers and, equally importantly, for agents. We feel that it’s vital that agents can carry out routine tasks for their clients online, but our members regularly tell us about how this hasn’t happened in recent years and how they need to wait in lengthy call queues to resolve routine issues for their clients.  

We recognise how frustrating it must be for our members to have to follow up issues which haven’t been resolved despite several contacts being made to HMRC. HMRC has however announced a new personal-tax query resolution service from 31 March 2025. The launch is part of a broader set of measures intended to improve the operation of the tax system. 

How will the new query resolution service work? 

HMRC has advised that the new service will focus on PAYE and Self-Assessment queries that the Agent Dedicated Line or Agent Webchat haven’t been able to resolve. Before using the service, it's necessary to have tried at least twice to resolve the query by contacting the Agent Dedicated Line or Agent Webchat and for 20 working days to have passed from the date stated in HMRC’s Where’s my Reply tool. 

You will be able to use the service by emailing a dedicated mailbox, once the service launches on 31 March 2025. HMRC will contact you within 48 hours to acknowledge the query, provide an update every 5 working days and aim to resolve your query within 20 working days, or make an action plan if the issue can’t be resolved. 

Other changes intended to improve the tax system 

The Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, James Murray MP, made some other announcements in a recent speech ahead of the 20th anniversary of the formation of HMRC. A recording of the speech is available on livestream. 

He confirmed that HMRC will be launching a new PAYE portal so that taxpayers can check and update the data that HMRC holds on their employments and pensions. We understand that this won’t include agent access at this stage, but we’ll continue to call for agents to be able to view the same details as their clients on their tax affairs. 

There’s also an intention to increase the Income Tax Self-Assessment reporting threshold for trading income from £1,000 to £3,000 within this parliament and align this with new reporting thresholds for property and other taxable income, at £3,000 gross each. It’s important to note that this isn’t increasing the trading and property income allowance, but if taxpayers have income between £1,000 and £3,000, they’ll be able to settle the tax without needing to complete a tax return. 

The government has stated its intention for HMRC to become a digital-first organisation and we look forward to the HMRC Transformation Roadmap being published later this year. 

Let us know your views 

We welcome your views, which help inform our work on consultations or other tax-related matters. We responded to many tax calls for evidence and consultations, as well as producing tax policy papers and reports. We also regularly attend meetings with HMRC at which service levels, delays and other issues are discussed, and we raise problems being encountered by members. 

Please get in touch to share your insights and feedback. 

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