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Report or find help to solve a tax problem

Updated: 27 Jun 2025 Update History

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Guidance on how to resolve clients’ tax problems, report HMRC service issues and get help with technical tax issues.

Client specific tax problems

Contact HMRC

Use the ICAEW HMRC contact information guide to find the correct HMRC telephone number or address for your query and for useful tips to help when contacting HMRC.

Use HMRC’s digital assistant for agent self assessment and individual PAYE queries. You can use the digital assistant to ask to transfer to webchat with an HMRC adviser. A similar service is available from other HMRC contact pages.

Issues with HMRC online services should be reported:

  • from within the service (select the ‘get help with this page’ option to raise a ticket); or
  • by phoning HMRC’s online services helpdesks (VAT, other taxes).

Use HMRC’s service dashboard to check current processing times and service levels for post and online requests.

Find out when you can expect to get a reply from HMRC to a query or request you have made.

Personal tax query resolution service for agents

HMRC has introduced a new agent resolution service that is specifically for PAYE and self assessment queries for individuals that the agent dedicated line and agent webchat haven’t resolved.

Before you use the service you must have:

  • checked ‘Where’s my Reply’ tool, with at least 20 working days having passed from the reply date given by the tool;
  • tried at least twice to resolve the query by contacting the agent dedicated line or agent webchat;
  • not already initiated a complaint with HMRC related to the query.

Agent account manager service

Use the HMRC agent account manager service to get help with a specific problem that you have not been able to resolve through the usual HMRC channels and which is not eligible for the personal tax query resolution service for agents.

Complaints

Use the ICAEW guide to making complaints to HMRC. It is generally better to use the channels listed above to resolve an issue before making a complaint and seeking redress.

HMRC service issues

Check the latest information on HMRC service availability and issues.

Use the options listed above for contacting HMRC.

Issues with HMRC online services should be reported:

  • from within the service (select the ‘get help with this page’ option to raise a ticket); or
  • by phoning HMRC’s online services helpdesks (VAT, other taxes).

Technical tax issues