There is a new HMRC VIP line reserved for the rich and famous. If you qualify, then you jump the queue and get right through.
Right now it is the season of tax returns, where millions of hard working contractors, freelancers, gig workers, small business owners and self employed people work hard to meet the 31st January deadline.
If you get stuck or have a question then the HMRC Hotline is only a ring away, but research suggests you could spend 30 minutes just waiting for someone to pick up the phone.
Unless you are on the HMRC VIP list. If you are on that list then you don’t need to queue up. They won’t even march you to the front of the line…YOU are in a different line completely.
This line is reserved for people such as MPs, government ministers, senior civil servants, members of the Royal family, and other “VIP’S” who have a special phone number they call and within seconds they are instantly connected.
Meanwhile, your average self employed person is getting more and more frustrated waiting for an operator.
The seconds turn to minutes and the minutes turn into half an hour…and still no response from HMRC.
Doesn’t this make you angry? Are you not outraged that 10% of the population are given the red carpet treatment while you sit there listening to stupid music and are told to “please hold?”
A journalist managed to get his hands on this private number reserved for the HMRC VIP list, and guess what? Yep, you guessed it, he was through within seconds. No waiting around and no being told to hold. He was treated like Royalty..
Until they found out he wasn’t Royalty. After admitting he wasn’t a VIP then the HMRC operator quickly slammed the phone down.
When asked for a comment, a spokesperson for HMRC declined to say who the private hotline is for or how much it costs. They didn’t say much at all, which has only added to the secretive nature of this “hush hush” phone line.
If you are not on the VIP list, then don’t expect to be given the number anytime soon.
You only have a few days to get your tax return in anyway, and if you need to contact HMRC then my advice is to just grin and bear it. Just stay on the phone until you get through and then sort it out.
Get the job done and then once your tax return is sent online, you can put your feet up and relax.
