A number of red old-fashioned phone handsets are dangling by their wires against a grey backdrop

Restrictions announced to Agent Dedicated Line

20 September, 2023

Targets for call waiting times on the Agent Dedicated Line (ADL) will be dropped and PAYE queries redirected from next month.

HMRC has told agents that, from 2 October:

  • The current 10-minute target wait time will be withdrawn.
  • Information on potential call waiting times will be provided.
  • PAYE queries will be re-routed to the main public helplines.

HMRC is making these changes as demand on their services is currently exceeding what they can supply with their current resources. The changes will result in a further erosion of services to agents on the ADL.

The current target waiting time of 10 minutes has routinely been exceeded in recent weeks. ATT members report that, due to current waiting times, they are already only using the ADL when absolutely necessary.

The new call-waiting information will be based on wait times from the previous day, rather than provide live information. But it will give some indication of how long a caller must hold before an HMRC representative answers.

Calls requesting details of P60/P45 information for clients are among those which will be redirected to general helplines. HMRC would like agents to use the new Income Record Viewer service to obtain this information. The ATT have asked for confirmation of which other PAYE related queries will be redirected. HMRC has said that updated guidance on the ADL will make this clear.

Throughout our discussions with HMRC, the ATT has reiterated the importance of the ADL to our members. The ADL is a vital service to tax agents as there remain tasks which agents cannot complete for their clients online. However, HMRC is simply not able to resource the ADL at the level which agents would wish. This makes it very difficult for agents to provide a cost effective and timely service to their clients.

We will be speaking again to HMRC later in the year and would be grateful for feedback from members about their experiences on the ADL to [email protected]. Due to the expected volume of feedback we may not be able to respond individually, but all feedback will be read.