I have sent off an FOI to the newly named HM Revenue & Customs (formerly Inland Revenue) with regards to the geographical number for the Tax Credits helpline, 0845 3003 900.

I specifically haven't asked for any other number (ie Tax offices, etc) as I want to see what the outcome of this FOI request is first.

I sent to HMRC in March this year for tax office numbers, after several emails and phone calls , to someone called  Bill Smith,
all resulting in long winded refusals, I asked for an internal revue before "I put the matter to the Information Commissionaire" It was only then that I got the numbers, however it did take a total of 4 months.

I've received a reply back (finally) regarding my FOI.

It is in snail mail format (modern technology is not in the goverments vocabulary), so I'll just highlight things below:-

• They reluctantly have supplied geographicals (I need to go through them all and check them)
  
• They don't receive any revenue from 0845 calls and in fact pay BT (how much was withheld - commercially confidential)
  
• They are aware that local/national calls are now the same price due to effective competition (in the geographical region anyhow).
  
• They are aware of difficulties from abroad and calling from mobiles (excessive costs)
  
• They are currently awaiting Ofcom's final report on NTS in the UK.

UPDATE:

Confirmed and added geographicals to the database.

I don't know if anyone has pointed this out before --- but ---- on the new HM Revenue website if you ckick "Contact Us" it gives 3 options -
      Individuals & Employees
      Employers
      Businesses & Corporations
 All the "Individuals" numbers are 0845 or 0870  -- whereas ALL the "Employers" and "Businesses" numbers are normal geographic!!!!

What the hell are they doing??!!  Surely this is blatant discrimination against the individual and utter favouritism for the business community!!

What do you think and what should we do about it???

Meantime I guess we should always call as a business/employer if we can't find a geo number on this site.

Re:
"What the hell are they doing??!!  Surely this is blatant discrimination against the individual and utter favouritism for the business community!!

What do you think and what should we do about it??? "

You could ask another FOI to them asking for the reason for the discrimination?

loddon wrote on Mar 21^st, 2006 at 9:59pm:

What do you think and what should we do about it???

Either

Make a Freedom of Information Act request to find out why the Inland Revenue are discriminating against the citizen consumers that the useless OfCoN is supposed to but never does protect to ccp.disclosure@ir.gsi.gov.uk. - see www.hmrc.gov.uk/about/foi.htm for more info.

And/Or

Make a complaint to your Regional Inland Revenue (or should that be HMRC now) Directors Office for your local area.  They are supposed to investigate all High Level Complaints against the Inland Revenue

See Page 12 of the extremely useful but well hidden leaflet on the Inland Revenue's website called Puting Things Right -www.hmrc.gov.uk/leaflets/cop1.pdf

And/Or

Email the top brass on the HMRC board responsible for this whole fiasco who you can find at www.hmrc.gov.uk/board/index.htm

The standard email addres format for each of these people is firstname.lastname@hmrc.gsi.gov.uk

And/Or

Ask your MP to write to the Chairman of HMRC David Varney asking for more information on this outrageous discrimination against ordinary private taxpayers.

Good Luck.