Tax and tax credits: help from HMRC

Contacting HMRC by telephone

All HMRC's helpline numbers and their associated opening hours are listed on GOV.UK (with the main ones being found here). Most of HMRC’s lines usually have quite long opening hours, which sometimes include Saturdays. These are, however, subject to change, so check GOV.UK for the latest information.

Certain times of the day and year are busier than others and you may encounter a queue while the system tries to put you through to an adviser with music whilst on hold. If you can avoid lunchtimes, just after 9am, and the evenings, you may find the waiting time shorter. Note that if you call just before the lines close, you may well get through the voice recognition system only to find yourself disconnected.

Most of the helplines have a speech recognition system in place that interprets what you say to direct you to the appropriate help. Before they can deal with your enquiry, either the speech recognition system or an adviser will carry out a security check to confirm you are who you say you are.

If you need to contact HMRC but are a non-English speaker, see our page Help with tax for non-English speakers.

Before phoning HMRC, we recommend that you:

• Check with your service provider how much your call will cost – the majority of HMRC helplines begin with 03. This means that you will pay the same amount as a landline call to a 01 or 02 number and the price is the same for calls from mobiles. Such numbers are generally included in any discount schemes or inclusive call minutes that you may have with landline or mobile phone operators.
• Think about a few words that best describe your question or query. This will help ensure you get through the speech recognition system and to the right person as quickly as possible. Try to use specific terms or keywords and have an alternative ready just in case the system does not pick up your first attempt. You should try to avoid long sentences. For example, saying ‘SMP’ or ‘maternity pay’ is sufficient. There is no need to say, ‘I am calling to query my entitlement to statutory maternity pay’.
• Have your National Insurance number, postcode and other key information you may need such as your unique taxpayer reference (UTR) number if you are in self assessment, ready for the security check. Make sure the address details you give matches the ones HMRC currently hold for you. If the address does not match HMRC’s records, you may fail the security check. 
• Have a pen and paper ready to make a note of the date and time of your call and important details such as what you need to do and by when and what HMRC have said they will do and when they will do it by. You may be offered a web address to jot down where you will find general guidance relating to your query. We know that people might find this annoying, particularly if they have already tried to look online, but there is no way to skip this stage.

During the call:

• Try to call when there is not too much background noise. Calling from a busy train station or when the television is on for example, could distort the information heard by the speech recognition system.
• Talk at a steady natural pace, do not rush, shout or speak too slowly. The system has been widely tested on all regional accents so there should not be any need to change the way you normally speak. However, if you have trouble making yourself understood, you may find HMRC’s information for those with additional needs helpful.
• To give dates, clearly say the date, month and year. For example, ‘twenty first July nineteen eighty nine’. Similarly, to say amounts, speak clearly and normally. For example ‘twenty-five pounds and thirty pence’.
• The system will recognise common abbreviations and acronyms. For 'PAYE' both 'p.a.y.e.' and 'pay as you earn' will be recognised. If your call concerns an actual form then you can name it (if you know the name) – for example, P2, P800, SA302 – as the system should recognise these also.
• The system will offer confirmation of what you have said. It will ask again if it is unsure or needs further clarification. If the system is still struggling to pick up what you are saying, it will revert to a push button menu for ease, for example press 1 for self assessment, 2 for refunds and so on. The system should always offer you a ‘something else’ option, if none of the other categories are appropriate.
• Depending on the nature of your query, you may also be asked some security questions by the system to verify your identity. This should mean you do not have to do it again when you get through to the adviser.
• Always ask HMRC when you can expect a reply and make a note of it.

After your call, keep notes of any phone calls along with important documents relating to your tax and tax credits. It is particularly important to make a note of the date and time of your call and if you speak to an adviser take their name as calls should be recorded and can be traced back where there is any later dispute. If the adviser doesn’t tell you their name, it is fine to ask them for it. 

You can apply for recordings of telephone calls (as well as any other data held by HMRC about you) by lodging a document known as a ‘subject access request’ (SAR) under the data protection rules. A SAR can be made by the online form on the HMRC website. HMRC are required to comply with a SAR request within 40 calendar days. If HMRC delay replying or their response is inadequate, you can contact the Information Commissioner.

Call connection services

You should be wary of any phone numbers that you find on the internet or on websites other than GOV.UK that start with numbers such as 09, 087 and 084. These could direct to expensive call connection services, which can result in large telephone bills. 

Call connection services are offered by private companies and can appear within search engine results as ads, although it may not be obvious that the results are an ad. These services do offer access to HMRC helplines, but at a huge cost. There is no advantage to using these services and you will not get through to HMRC any quicker. In fact, due to there often being lengthy wait times to get through to an HMRC adviser, these calls can cost hundreds of pounds. 

When searching for phone numbers for HMRC:

• Don’t assume the first search engine result is direct helpline for HMRC – ads are often shown at the top of search engine results
• Check the number you are dialling – most official HMRC helplines start in “03”
• Pay attention to the URL (website address.) Official information on HMRC helplines will usually be found on GOV.UK

Getting help from HMRC online

HMRC offer a range of digital services for those who want to deal with their tax online. These allow you to carry out transactions online such as file your self assessment tax return or, if you are an employer, manage your PAYE scheme. 

See our page on online tax accounts for more information on this. We also look at how to get help in using HMRC’s online services, including technical help, on that page. 

HMRC digital assistants and webchat

It is sometimes possible to contact HMRC using their digital assistant and/or webchat facilities. These cover a range of tax matters. You can access these digital assistants/webchats, where available, by clicking on the relevant tax area on the contact HMRC page of GOV.UK. For example, for self assessment queries, you would click on the self assessment link on the Contact HMRC page and then click on the ‘Chat with HMRC’s digital assistant’ button. 

There are three different versions available, depending on the tax service you are accessing:

• ‘Digital assistant’ only – this means an automated ‘chatbot’ will provide links to appropriate guidance.
• Combined digital assistant and webchat - in this case you will start with the automated digital assistant and if you are not able to get the help you need, you then join a queue to speak to a live person on webchat – see further information about using this service below.
• Live webchat only – this means you will talk to a live person on webchat, without dealing with the automated digital assistant beforehand. This applies to those who wish to access the extra support team.

Digital assistant/web chat functionality may not be available for all tax services. 

Using the combined digital assistant and webchat

This service is available for certain major HMRC service areas – notably for self assessment and for general income tax enquiries, so can be a useful way of getting help from HMRC if you prefer to get help online or do not wish to wait for an adviser on the telephone. The service can be accessed using a computer or smartphone. HMRC say almost any task that can be actioned, or query that can be resolved on the phone, can also be sorted via webchat, where available.

To access the service, you first have to go to the relevant contact page on GOV.UK and then click ‘Ask HMRC online’ or something similar. This will take you to the digital assistant, which is the automated chatbot (not a real person). 

The ability to access webchat is not always obvious from the digital assistant as at the end of the chat you might only be given the option of ending the chat or asking another question. Webchat availability changes throughout the day based on the availability of HMRC advisers and it is not always obvious whether the webchat facility is open or not. You may have to try multiple times. If an adviser is available, you may need to wait in a queue.

If you do manage to speak to an adviser using this service, we recommend you save a copy of your conversation – at the end of the chat you should be given an option to do this, either by printing or saving the chat to your computer or mobile device.

HMRC community forums

HMRC used to provide an online community forum where you could ask questions about tax for HMRC to answer, however, from 30 June 2025 the forum has now closed. 

HMRC say that people can get the help they need from their digital assistant and webchat (see above) and social media channels. Our guidance will be updated with more information about the exact scope of HMRC’s social media channels to answer queries, if and when this becomes available. In the meantime, we can point you to a GOV.UK page which briefly sets out HMRC’s current social media options for customers. In it, they also set out what they expect from you and what you can expect from them. 

Contacting HMRC by email

While email communication for the general population is limited, HMRC say that they offer email communication as a reasonable adjustment to disabled customers who require it. We discuss this in our page Help from HMRC if you have additional needs. 

HMRC may also use email in specific other situations, for example during a compliance check. Often, however, taxpayers prefer not to do this when they are made aware that that this is not a secure method of communication, open to hacking and that HMRC are limited in what information can be included in an e-mail.

Contacting HMRC by letter or postal form

It is likely to take longer to resolve your enquiry or question if you write to HMRC rather than seek help on the phone or online. If, however, you decide to do this, we recommend that you always:

• Write to HMRC at the postal address shown on the most recent correspondence received from them. If you don’t have a specific address to write to, you should use the appropriate address from HMRC’s contact pages on GOV.UK.
• Put a clear heading on your letter – for example complaint, tax repayment, calculation query, information request, PAYE coding query – so that HMRC can identify the broad content of the letter and make sure it reaches the right area of the department.
• Take a copy of any correspondence you send to HMRC and keep it safe for future reference.
• Though it may cost more, consider using a ‘signed-for’ postal service to ensure safe delivery, especially if there is a deadline to meet or the contents are urgent. You can ask for a free proof of postage from the Post Office but this only proves that you have posted something – it does not prove that HMRC have received or signed for it.
• Check when you can expect a reply using the HMRC tool on GOV.UK.
• Make sure you know about any key dates or deadlines that you may still have to adhere to while your enquiry is ongoing.

Many forms may now be completed and submitted online. Other forms do not allow you to print off a copy to complete by hand, but make you complete it on screen, before asking you to print it off and post it. 

If you are asked to download the form and save it to your computer in order to complete it on screen, then you should be able to save a copy of your entries, before you print it off and post it. However not all HMRC forms are like this. It makes sense to note down the answers you complete on the form as you go along if it is not clear from the outset that you can save a copy for yourself – and to keep that record safe along with a note of the date you completed the form online/a copy of what you posted to HMRC.

HMRC will accept electronic or digital signatures on certain documents, however, other forms will require a handwritten or ‘wet’ signature. You should check any notes included with the relevant forms or webpages for any specific instructions regarding signatures. 

Additional support from HMRC

HMRC have some specific services and access points for those with additional needs, such as a disability, and our page Help from HMRC if you have additional needs covers the help available.

If, instead, you are struggling to deal with your tax or tax credits, need help filing in a form or just feel you need someone to spend a bit of extra time explaining things to you, you may find HMRC's extra support service useful.

HMRC-related scams

You should be aware that scammers often pretend to be HMRC to try and get money out of people. You should therefore be on the lookout for fake emails, texts, phone calls and so on purporting to be from HMRC.

A contact could be a scam if it:

• Rushes you
• Has a threatening tone
• Is unexpected
• Asks for personal information like bank details
• Tells you to transfer money
• Offers a refund, tax rebate or grant
• Asks you to click on a link to verify your details
• Tells you to keep the matter confidential or not tell anyone else.

We tell you more about different kinds of HMRC-related scams and what to do if you have fallen victim, on our page about protecting yourself from HMRC related scams.