ICAEW and other professional bodies continue to press HMRC on its unacceptable service performance, including long helpline waiting times and delays in handling written correspondence. 

In response, HMRC is trialling a taskforce, starting work on Monday 10 July 2023, to process post over 12 months old. The team aims to significantly reduce the number of very old outstanding cases over the next few months.  

Agents can use the agents' issue resolution service online form to escalate any post that is more 12 months old. Agents that have not previously used the agent account manager (AAM) service will first need to register for that service. ICAEW’s Tax Faculty is encouraging members to identify very old post and escalate it using this route. 

HMRC has provided the following information on how the process will work: 

The core purpose of the AAM team – to help agents resolve issues – will remain. However, the AAM team will now also be responsible for resolving post over 12 months old where HMRC has not responded.  

Agents should use the form to escalate items of post over 12 months old that they believe still requires a response. HMRC asks that, before entering other data, agents complete the “reason” box showing “agents 12 month+ post trial”. HMRC will need the following information:  

• client’s name; 
• date of post item; 
• client's HMRC reference number; 
• agent code; 
• agent name; 
• agent’s phone number; and
• which tax regime the post relates to.  

Agents using the online form will receive an automatic response acknowledging receipt. HMRC will contact the agent within five working days to confirm that the reported post has been identified and respond more fully within 15 working days.  

HMRC has asked ICAEW to remind agents that the AAM service cannot deal with issues that are being handled by other parts of HMRC including: 

• cases where HMRC has already replied to an agent – for example with a request for addition information;
• formal complaints – unless there is associated post over 12 months old without a response;
• compliance checks – unless there is associated post over 12 months old without a response;
• appeals against HMRC decisions; and
• post under 12 months old. 

HMRC will monitor this trial and review how it is working in early August.