Revenue urged to write off tax credit debts
Tax regulator urged to ditch credit debts after 52 million Inland Revenue helpline calls abandoned
The government has come under renewed pressure to write off tax credit debts
that result from official errors after figures revealed that more than half of
the 100m calls to Inland Revenue helplines went unanswered.
The Treasury said that a staggering 52 million calls to the Revenue got an
engaged tone or were abandoned before an adviser came to the phone.
The figures come just days before the Treasury is due to send a response to
the parliamentary ombudsman following her damning report into the tax credit
system in June.
In the first three months of the current tax year, nearly 25% of the 7.5
million calls to the Revenue went unanswered.