“Perhaps the most concerning statistic for HMRC revealed by these reports is the decline in trust in the organisation. The results of surveys conducted by HMRC highlight that it is trusted by less than half of individuals and agents, and by only around two-thirds of businesses. None of the performance statistics will come as a surprise to taxpayers or accountants as they reflect their day-to-day experiences.
“HMRC simply cannot deliver against the core charter standards while its performance levels are so poor, and this will continue to be reflected in survey results until it improves. Just 3% of respondents believe that HMRC is held sufficiently accountable for its performance against the charter.
“Given budgetary pressures, we expect HMRC to continue with its digital first strategy. Many more interactions between HMRC and taxpayers could be online, but the services are not comprehensive. There is much for HMRC to do to improve digital services and to fill the gaps in those services, investment will be required”.
ENDS
Notes to editors
CONTACT: ICAEW media office, stephen.froome@icaew.com or 07970 402 073
The HMRC surveys are available: