Ongoing problems with helplines and the phone service continue to drag down HMRC’s customer service levels.

Negative perceptions of HMRC’s customer service rose to nearly half of those that have had telephone contact in the latest survey.

This year less than a quarter of respondents to the annual HMRC perceptions report agreed that ‘HMRC provides good customer service’, while nearly half expressed a neutral view or were not sure.

Meantime, the increasing complexity of tax affairs and the fact that so many people are being dragged into the tax system for the first time due to political decisions to freeze thresholds for years are also aggravating factors.