Agent Dedicated and Priority lines
(Last updated August 2008)
Responding to feedback from tax agent representatives at the Working Together
Steering Group Meeting on 5 December 2007, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC)
Contact Centres agreed to introduce a new Agent Dedicated Line in each taxes
Contact Centre. The new line will be introduced to each Contact Centre on
a rolling basis. The lines have been operational in East Kilbride and Bradford
Contact Centres since Thursday 20 December 2007. The Agent Dedicated Line
will be extended to the other taxes sites over the coming months.
The new Agent Dedicated Lines are intended for all agent enquiries for taxpayer-specific
calls about Self Assessment and PAYE (Pay As You Earn) for individuals and
partnership matters. Over the coming months, the new Agent Dedicated Lines
will replace the existing Agent Priority Lines as outlined below. These
numbers should only be used by professional agents.
All our Contact Centres are open Monday to Friday 8am - 8pm and Saturday
8am - 4pm except Belfast which is open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm.
Choose the right number
If the Contact Centre for your client has an Agent Dedicated Line, it’s a good idea call this number in the first instance.When you call an Agent Dedicated Line, you will be:
- given priority and answered faster
- put through to an adviser who has at least 12 months experience
- transferred to technicians if necessary to ensure your query is answered
wherever possible during your first call
If the Contact Centre has yet to switch to Agent Dedicated Lines, the existing Agent Priority Line will still be in operation. This facility was launched (2002/03) to help agents who were having difficulty contacting us on the public 0845 numbers and enables them to 'jump the queue'. Please only use the Agent Priority Line numbers if you have an urgent issue and are unable to get through on the usual 0845 lines. The numbers are for agents' use only. Please do not pass these numbers to your clients.
You may already be aware that our busiest times for calls are on Mondays and on the days that follow a Bank Holiday. It would be helpful if you could try to avoid contacting us at these times.
Tax credits - priority line for agents
Many agents support their clients with their tax credit claims. We have taken note of your feedback and made improvements to the way we handle tax credits calls from agents. We have introduced a dedicated priority number for agents dealing with tax credits: 0845 300 3943. The new priority line is for agents only, please do not make it available to the general public as this will affect the efficiency of the service.
Agent calls to the new number will be routed to one Contact Centre site. When the call comes through to the Contact Centre, it is identified as an agent call and advisers will have the relevant guidance for verifying and dealing with agents at their fingertips. This should ensure a more efficient service for agents.
If an agent uses the existing general number, advisers should still deal with the call, but we recommend that you use the new number.
Taxes Contact Centres dedicated and priority numbers for agents
Area |
Dedicated line |
Priority line |
Telephone |
Contact Centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devon |
0845 366 7880 |
|
0845 366 7830 |
Cardiff |
| Dorset and South Wiltshire |
0845 366 7852 |
|
0845 302 1438 |
Portsmouth and Bournemouth |
Area |
Dedicated line |
Priority line |
Telephone |
Contact Centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Humber |
0845 366 7823 |
|
0845 302 1414 |
Sunderland |
Area |
Dedicated line |
Priority line |
Telephone |
Contact Centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent |
0845 366 7852 |
|
0845 302 1431 |
Portsmouth and Bournemouth |
Area |
Dedicated line |
Priority line |
Telephone |
Contact Centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oxon and Buckinghamshire |
0845 366 7897 |
|
0845 302 1434 |
East Kilbride |
Area |
Dedicated line |
Priority line |
Telephone |
Contact Centre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tees Valley |
0845 366 7823 |
|
0845 366 7865 |
Sunderland |
