Following the announced closure of the helpline, the Chartered Institute of Taxation (CIOT), Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) and ACCA, have warned that this a damaging move.

HMRC announced that the phone lines for taxpayers with self assessment problems will be closed from 12 June until 4 September.

The three-month closure is supposed to ‘free up advisers’ time’ to take more urgent calls on other lines, HMRC claimed.

Highlighting the seriousness of HMRC’s resourcing problem, the ATT said that the restrictions will lead to stress and inconvenience, as well as extra pressure on the tax authority nearer the January tax return deadline.

CIOT president Gary Ashford said: ‘This looks like a cry for help in a desperate situation. It is simply wrong that people trying to get help from HMRC to pay the right amount of tax find it so difficult to get the support they need – and this latest announcement gives little information as to how they are supposed to get that support, especially those who cannot interact digitally.

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