HMRC Pay Over £354k due to “Careless” Errors
HMRC is facing criticism after it has emerged that the number of tax complaints in 2012-2013 was more than double the previous year’s figure. 60% of all complaints were at least partially upheld, leading to a total of £354,321 paid in redress.
Complaints relating to PAYE were particularly prominent. Many of the mistakes made by HMRC were described by the Adjudicator’s Office as “careless and avoidable.” Overall, 1,331 tax complaints were handled across the entire year, which represents an increase of 107% compared to 2011-2012.
The expectation had been that the number of complaints would fall. The Adjudicator’s Office said the fact that they had instead increased drastically was “extremely disappointing.” They also criticised the way HMRC handled the complaint process.
In order to handle this drastic rise in complaint volume, the Adjudicator’s Office had to recruit the assistance of a number of temporary staff.