HMRC phone scams

Agent Dedicated Line

21 December, 2022

On 19 December, HMRC shared the following update with all agents about the use of the Agent Dedicated Line during January. 

We have explained to HMRC that our members are unlikely to welcome the restriction of the ADL in this manner, but HMRC’s view is that their limited resources need to be managed effectively during this time. We are currently seeking more clarity on the definition of a ‘complex’ query and whether chasing is acceptable if the dates given on the dashboard have passed. We understand that HMRC staff will still assist where information is accessible via digital services, but a taxpayer is unable to create a Personal Tax Account, or authorise an agent to access their PAYE data under the Income Record Viewer (IRV). (An agent can only access data held on the IRV by completing a digital handshake similar to the process for the Trust Registration Service and 60-day CGT reporting service.) 

If members have any particular concerns or issues during January about the ADL, please let us know on [email protected].

HMRC's update: 

"From 1‌‌‌ ‌‌January 2023 until 31‌‌‌ ‌‌January 2023 the Agent Dedicated Line (ADL) will only be able to answer questions on complex SA queries. This is to make sure we can support you to complete your clients’ SA returns. 

"The SA peak is always our busiest time. To help us provide the best service we can through the SA peak, we want to make sure that you always use our digital services where possible and only use the ADL for SA related enquires. If you need to ring for other reasons throughout January you should use the normal customer lines where they will get answered, but it may take a little longer than usual.

‌"You should: 

  • use the Agent Dashboard for the quickest way to establish when to expect a reply from HMRC to a query or request
  • sign up for the Income Record Viewer service as an agent to access pay and tax details, employment history and tax codes
  • remind customers to use their Personal Tax Account (PTA) to access general tax information and employment histories. Customers can also use their PTA to request a SA302 

"We receive lots of calls to the ADL which are not complex enquiries for example, PAYE queries in relation to progress-chasing, queries about general tax information and employment histories. You can get these answers on our self-serve digital channels."