The pen is sometimes mightier than the sword...not that a sword would be a waste on a few HMRC employees mind.... Dear XXXXX Re: NI Number - XXXXXX - Your Ref XXXXXX Thank you for your letter, dated 27th October 2013, in respect of the above. Your response was what I expected, in that it has ignored relevant information and questions. As such, these remain unanswered. Based on your response, previous responses, telephone calls and the conduct of HMRC throughout the course of the dispute, I feel that I cannot simply allow this to lie and will continue to pursue, what is clearly in my mind your error. Additionally, I feel I must draw attention to the awful customer service I have experienced throughout the entire process. Historically, this dispute has taught me that HMRC struggles to read and respond to information, as well as taking an unacceptable amount of time to respond to queries (where the response is then still largely irrelevant to the actual query raised). For this reason, I have listed my outstanding queries and concerns below in a numbered list. This should be easy to respond to. There are fourteen queries, so I expect fourteen responses. I know a number of staff at HMRC struggle with figures, so I am pinning my hopes on you being able to count that high. 1) Overpayments for Tax Year 2011-2012. In your letter, you say the overpayment is for a figure of £XXXX. However, all previous correspondence has the figure at £XXXXX and this is the amount that I have already been making repayments on. Can you explain the discrepancy between these figures please, or is it yet another mistake on your part? If the correct figure is £XXXXX, then I would like the overpayment details to be amended accordingly and confirmation that this is done. 2) Overpayments for Tax Year 2011-2012. I would like a breakdown of the figures, as to how you believe this overpayment occurred. Specifically, I would like the information of mine and my wifes salary for this period, as well as an explanation as to where this information came from, including proof if you say it came from me. 3) Overpayments for Tax Year 2011-2012. I sent you a letter on 13/12/11, saying the information you had was incorrect, specifically in relation to my wifes salary. I advised that you had her earnings for that year incorrect and believed it to be based on not updating her earnings after she went back to work full time, after maternity leave. I would like to have the information, as to how you adjusted her earnings in response to this letter. 4) Overpayments for Tax Year 2012-2013. You say this was caused by a provisional estimated joint income of £XXXXX. Can you please explain how this figure was calculated? Can you also please send me any documentation where you sent me a copy of this figure as, knowing it to be highly inaccurate, I would like to think I would have queried this at the time. 5) Overpayments for Tax Year 2012-2013. Every single piece of correspondence I have for this tax year sent from you to me, shows a joint income of at least £XXXX, so why have you calculated it on a figure of approximately £10,000 less? 6) In my most recent telephone call conversation with one of your departments, I had to advise that, again you had my wifes salary as being incorrect. During this conversation, with an advisor called XXXXX on 23/10/13, I was advised that you never take £2,600 of a womans salary into account when they are on maternity leave. I would like an explanation of this please. Essentially, you are saying, for example, if I tell you that my wife normally earns £10,000 but that drops to £8,000 because of reduced income through maternity, you then randomly actually say she earns £5,400? Can this be clarified please, as the advisor actually admitted this could be the cause of some of the mistakes that you have made. 7) On the above call with XXXXX, he also said that this reduction was made, because most people have nine months off for maternity. I really dont understand the relevance of this explanation, so could you explain it please? Additionally, as my wife will be taking twenty six weeks maternity leave and not nine months, does this mean you are going to mess the figures up yet again? Have you calculated figures inaccurately based on wrongly assuming that my wife will be having nine months maternity leave? Have you also made this incorrect assumption for previous tax years? Is this part of the reason why you have made mistakes for income in previous tax years? 8) During my telephone conversation with XXXXX on 23/10/13, I queried your account system, specifically, if an advisor can see what is happening with regards to my account. He confirmed this to be the case, which then leads to the question, why is it that I am constantly having to explain things every time I phone up, as various departments/individuals seem clueless as to what I am trying to explain/discuss? Have advisors been culpable of not adding (correct) notes? 9) I have not received a satisfactory explanation, as to why I have received further letters saying I owe the repayments for the two years detailed in your letter, when in fact I am already paying back these amounts? XXXXX simply said, it was a mistake that I continue to receive these letters, which, frankly, is far from a great explanation and a long way from an apology. 10) I have made numerous references to the awful customer service I have experienced, when dealing with various departments of HMRC. This includes unacceptable amounts of time to deal with queries, rude conduct by staff members, inaccurate information, lack of communication between departments, unwillingness of advisors to assist with queries, deliberate obstructive conduct by advisors and departments. Not once has anybody felt the need to apologise or offer explanations for this. Do you not feel this should be addressed? 11) I would like a complete copy of the audit trail on my account, including dates and notes that were left in my account. This information should be for every department within HMRC, including associated overpayments offices etc. 12) I would like a printed copy of every letter, form and piece of written documentation sent since 1/1/2010. This information should be for every department within HMRC, including associated overpayments offices etc. This should include everything sent in both directions - i.e. information sent by me to you and vice versa. 13) I would like a printed transcript of every telephone conversation since 1/1/2010. This information should be for every department within HMRC, including associated overpayments offices etc. This should include every call in both directions - i.e. calls by me to you and vice versa. Within this information, I would also like specific breakdowns of how long it took the call to connect to an advisor (i.e. how long I was initially waiting to speak to an advisor), duration of the time I was placed on hold, duration of the time it took to connect me to other departments. 14) Your letter makes reference to making arrangements to recover the overpayments. You know Im already paying the money back, whilst the dispute is ongoing right? The notes in my account and the money you take from my bank account each month should be a pretty strong indication of this Id have thought? I appreciate this is a lot of information to respond to, as well as a large amount of information to collate. I have already been advised by three different individuals that I am entitled to have call transcripts etc, so please do not try and wriggle out of this by saying its not possible. Whilst you are not forgiving to the customer - expecting overpayments, responses immediately etc, I am prepared to be more forgiving. Historically, I know it can take you a hugely unacceptable amount of time to respond to the simplest of queries, so with your limited capabilities in mind, I will allow you until 1/1/14 to provide me with answers and information to all fourteen numbered points. Ive only been trying to sort your mistakes out for two years, so whats another couple of months right? In addition, I would also like full details of your complaints and escalations policies, including my next point of escalation within HMRC, or externally to an ombudsman, if you feel your internal escalation process has been completed. What I do not wish to receive is another response with no new information. Nor do I wish to receive further communication where you are being deliberately obstructive and/or trying to buy yourself further time. Furthermore, I do not wish to have a response saying that details within the fourteen points need to be addressed by different departments. It is clear that the problems detailed have been largely compounded by poor communication within departments and nobody willing to take ownership of the dispute. My understanding was that your letter was a response from the complaints department. Well, these are all complaints, so I expect you to deal with it all. Come on XXXXX, you can buck the trend of HMRC employees here and actually take ownership of something...cue letter in January 2014 from another Administrative Officer saying, Er...any chance you could resend your letter again, my dogs eaten it. At this stage, I think it would be appropriate to advise you, that once I have received all the information requested, I intend to take the details to my MP and the press. I think there will be significant interest in the way HMRC have treated an honest, hardworking family. I maintain that your awful customer service, incompetence and bullying tactics are wholly unacceptable and need to be both exposed and investigated, with those responsible being accountable for their actions. If you feel the tone of my letter is rude or sarcastic in places, believe me this is nothing close to the way your advisors speak to customers on a regular basis. For these reasons, I offer no apologies if any offence has been caused. I expect a complete response by the date requested. Yours Sincerely David Templeton
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 16:58:20 +0000
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