Tax & Accounting News

Tax Complaints Taking 13 Months To Resolve

26/11/2009

Taxpayers are now waiting an average of 13 months to resolve disputes with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

According to official figures from the adjudicator’s office, obtained by the Guardian newspaper, the process was currently taking an average of 56 weeks, despite previous Treasury promises to put mistakes right more quickly.

The delays have been blamed on staff shortages, as well as a sharp increase in the number of complaints over tax credit awards.

HMRC said there was an ‘active plan’ in place to resolve the current difficulties, with more investigators being recruited to the organisation’s Derby office in an effort to tackle the backlog.