Research for HMRC showed that although a majority of taxpayers are ‘somewhat open’ to dealing with their tax affairs online, many (41%) would still prefer to engage with an HMRC representative, particularly for more complex tax inquiries.

The need for reassurance and worries about the consequence of mistakes, were the most commonly reported reasons for preferring direct channels, regardless of levels of digital capability.

This was true for both simple and complex tasks, with taxpayers preferring, when able, to deal with an HMRC representative over the phone.

Half said they would be happy to resolve issues online if they were simple and did not require expert knowledge.