Emma Rawson
Director of Public Policy, Association of Taxation Technicians
Improving public understanding and experiences of the tax system is important. As HMRC expands its digital services, communication tools should help taxpayers access information and support more easily.
Better communication channels play an important role not only in resolving queries, but also in improving taxpayers’ understanding of their obligations and entitlements.
Accessible digital communication would help taxpayers and their agents engage with the system more confidently, encouraging greater awareness of their tax liabilities and obligations.
The case for secure messaging
A secure online messaging channel would allow taxpayers and agents to communicate with HMRC at any time, without relying on postal correspondence or lengthy phone calls.
Digital channels such as webchat and secure messaging portals can enable faster exchanges of information than traditional methods. HMRC already provides webchat support for some services, but this is typically limited to straightforward queries, and although it’s possible to download a chat transcript, it doesn’t provide a permanently available communication record. A dedicated messaging portal would allow users to raise queries, submit information and follow up on ongoing issues within a single secure platform.
helping ensure queries are resolved more quickly and accurately
Efficiency and transparency
Digital communication can also improve efficiency. Reducing reliance on postal and call centre correspondence would lower administrative costs for HMRC, freeing up staff time to focus on more complex matters, while a messaging platform would also create a clear record of interactions between HMRC and taxpayers or their agents.
Designing a workable system
Any new digital channel would need to route queries to the appropriate HMRC teams. Following this, ongoing communication should be able to take place directly with the relevant caseworker without repeating the triage process.
At a minimum, a secure portal allowing taxpayers and agents to upload documents would provide an immediate improvement, helping ensure queries are resolved more quickly and accurately.
Making communication truly digital
A fully functional, two-way digital communication system for taxpayers and their agents would represent an important step toward a more accessible tax administration system — one that helps people engage with, and better understand, their tax affairs.
