More than 400,000 tax returns filed despite strike
HMRC call-centre strike fails to deter majority of online filers
HMRC call-centre strike fails to deter majority of online filers
MORE THAN 400,000 people filed their self-assessment tax returns online yesterday, despite a strike by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) call centre workers.
Some 443,543 returns were filed online on 31 January, compared to about 600,000 on the same day a year earlier, a spokesman for HMRC said.
By midnight last night, 7,446,291 online tax returns had been submitted, up nearly 8% from the previous year.
The normal deadline for submitting tax returns is 31 January, but the taxman has said it will not fine anyone submitting tax returns on 1 or 2 February because of industrial action on deadline day.
The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which has around 60,000 members in HMRC, said more than 14,500 of its 20,000 members in HMRC enquiry offices and call centres went on strike yesterday.
The strike is in protest over the appointment of private-sector companies to run call-handling trials in two call-centres.
PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said in a statement: “The strong support for the strike shows our members do not want their jobs and the essential services they provide undermined by privatisation.”
HMRC denied it is privatising existing call centre jobs. It has said the call-centre trial is about “considering options to improve services to the public”.
More about:
The numbers you crunch tell a story. Your expertis...
12yEmbracing user-friendly AP systems can turn the tide, streamlining workflows, enhancing compliance, and opening doors to early payment discounts. Read...
View articleOrganisations can enhance their financial operations' efficiency, accuracy, and responsiveness by adopting platforms that offer them self-service cust...
View articleIn a world of instant results and automated workloads, the potential for AP to drive insights and transform results is enormous. But, if you’re still ...
View resourceDiscover how AP dashboards can transform your business by enhancing efficiency and accuracy in tracking key metrics, as revealed by the latest insight...
View articleATT technical officer, David Wright, considers the implications of HMRC’s decision to remove employees with income between £100,000 and £150,000 from ...
View articleAccountants with contractor clients must take practical steps in an attempt to fly under HMRC’s radar Read More...
View articleAre taxpayers aware of their self-assessment obligations before they come to you? In a consultation due to close shortly, HMRC is looking at whether t...
View articleATT technical officer, Emma Rawson, takes a look at HMRC’s new call for evidence which explores potential reforms to how and when individuals with pro...
View articleTax managers warn of complexities in HMRC’s WFH tax allowances Read More...
View articleHMRC has experienced an increase in its revenue due to further investigations in the year 2018/19. Read More...
View articleLast year, HMRC imposed a record £860m in penalties on individual taxpayers, up 24% from £694m in 2017/18, according to accounting group UHY Hacker Yo...
View articleThe Low Income Tax Reform Group believes the government should have included tax initiatives in its plans for disabled people and employment Read More...
View article