HMRC is withdrawing all 0845 helpline telephone numbers and replacing them with 03 helpline telephone numbers with effect 30 June 2015, in a bid to reduce call charges for advisers and taxpayers, particularly as 03 numbers are often included in the mobile phone free call contract minutes
This change was announced in August 2014 and since December 2014 customers calling a 0845 number that has been taken out of service have heard a message providing the new 03 number before the call is ended.
For most customers, HMRC claims that an 03 numbers are cheaper to call than an 0845 number, and it is government and Ofcom policy to use 03 numbers.
03 calls cost no more than calls to geographic numbers (01 or 02) and must be included in inclusive minutes and discount schemes in the same way.
Although the landline calls will work out cheaper, 0300 calls are comparable to 08 prefix numbers with call charges as high as 40p per minute.
Calls from landlines are typically charged up to 9p per minute; calls from mobiles cost up to 40p per minute. Calls to 03 numbers from landlines and mobiles are included in free call packages.
This compares with up to 13p per minute for 0843 and 0844 calls, with charges for mobile phones up to 41p per minute.
All HMRC 0845 helpline telephone numbers will be decommissioned from 30 June and customers dialling those numbers will hear a dead line tone.
All new 03 phone numbers are available on the HMRC contacts page
Ofcom details of all phone charges are available here