In an email to agents, HMRC has announced that it will continue to offer webchat services to agents beyond 31 January 2024. Agents chasing PAYE repayments will be expected to use webchat. 

Self assessment

The self assessment webchat service will cover all topics. An agent with a complex or urgent self assessment query can call the agent dedicated line (ADL) and speak to an adviser by selecting option one from the menu. 

An agent chasing a self assessment repayment is asked to use the ‘Where’s my reply’ tool before contacting HMRC. This will give the date by which HMRC expects to make the repayment.

A self assessment repayment may be delayed where it has been selected for a security check. Agents are asked not to contact HMRC for a further 12 weeks where this is the case.  

Individual PAYE and PPI

The PAYE webchat service will focus on repayment queries. An agent with a PAYE coding query or a complex PAYE issue can call the ADL and speak to an adviser by selecting option two.

An agent chasing a PAYE or payment protection insurance (PPI) tax relief repayment is asked to use the ‘Where’s my reply’ tool before contacting HMRC. This will give the date by which HMRC expects to process the repayment.

If a PAYE or PPI repayment is not received by the expected date, the agent should use the PAYE webchat service to check the status of the claim. 

Caroline Miskin, Senior Technical Manager, ICAEW Tax Faculty, said: “Agent queries cannot always be neatly categorised as self assessment or PAYE. Resolving a client’s query may require changes to both systems and it is extremely unhelpful that HMRC now requires two separate contacts. The webchat service to which agents have access is not dedicated to agents and agents sometimes experience delays while they are transferred to an ADL adviser.”