The Adjudicator’s Office report stated that it had received 950 complaints about HMRC in 2022/23 compared to 1,029 in 2021/22. Nearly half (47%) of complaints were upheld, up 15% on the previous year number when only 32% of complainants won their cases.

The ombudsman critised the quality of HMRC customer service, stating that the ‘Customer Services Group have struggled with volume and also significant pressure on resources. This means that the recovery has slipped and is therefore ongoing’. There was also mixed adherence to the HMRC Charter, which was a failure on the part of leadership in different parts of HMRC.

The main reasons for taxpayer cases related to poor complaint handling by HMRC officials.