Employer Bulletin letters page

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Helpline numbers

It is very useful to have all the Helpline and Orderline numbers on the back of the Bulletin. All of them are 0845 numbers. When these were first introduced the charge was the same as a local call. Telephone charges have changed a lot. All the calls from my phone to 01, 02 and 03 numbers cost 0p per minute. Calls to 0845 numbers are 4p per minute. I know it’s not a lot but I have to pay for all my calls (I do the payroll for a Charity and pay all my own costs personally). A normal half hour call costs me 0p, one to an 0845 number £1.20.

Why does the Revenue use 0845 numbers? Could you also publish alternative normal numbers? If you want to use non-geographic numbers, could you consider changing to the recently introduced 03 numbers?

R Service
Glasgow

HMRC keeps its policy and practice for handling telephone calls from customers through its centrally managed contact centre network under constant review. Whilst the policy is to operate customer facing helplines using 0845 prefixed numbers we are considering how the alternative numbering schemes interact with the wide range of tariffs available from telecommunications providers.

HMRC uses 0845 numbers as they allow accurate routing of calls. It also allows each call, when received, to be routed to the contact centre best able to handle it. Using this facility allows us to manage call queue lengths, reduce call waiting times and offer the best available service during our opening hours.

P11 calculator

I use the CD-ROM P11 calculator to calculate the tax and National Insurance contributions for my employees. It’s brilliant. However I would like the facility to print off a payslip. I wait for each CD-ROM in the hope that it will be there but it never is. Why?

J Williams
Rotherham

We have been asked this question by many employers. Two factors underlie our decision not to provide a payslip facility. First we are aware that most payslips include adjustments to pay which extend beyond the requirements of HMRC and other Government Departments, and we do not wish to confuse users who might wrongly conclude that an HMRC payslip product includes all the necessary details for employees. But in addition we know that there are many commercial payroll software products which already provide payslip facilities which are popular with employers, and it is not the role of a Government Department to duplicate functions of this kind.

Employer CD-ROM

I was disappointed to see that the minimize button had been removed from the CD-ROM which I have just received. Could this be put back on to the next disk when it is issued please?

P Levy
Leeds

A number of employers have requested the minimize facility to be put back on. I am pleased to say the CD-ROM issued with this edition of the Bulletin has had the Minimize Button reinstated.