Key facts
- HMRC officials could face pay cuts and dismissal under a Reform UK government for long taxpayer wait times.
- Taxpayers and businesses would receive a £30 tax credit if they wait over 30 minutes for HMRC service.
- The policy aims to improve customer service performance at HMRC, a large public sector employer.
- Reform UK cited research indicating significant lost taxpayer time and economic cost due to HMRC service delays.
- The party also criticized large businesses for alleged exploitation and employing illegal workers.
Reform UK has outlined a policy to penalize Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) officials if taxpayers experience excessive wait times for service. Under the proposed plan, customer service officers at the tax authority would face pay cuts and potential dismissal if they fail to meet performance standards, including keeping wait times below 30 minutes.
As part of the proposed reforms, taxpayers and small business owners who are made to wait longer than 30 minutes on the phone to HMRC would be eligible for a £30 tax credit at the end of the year. The party cited research indicating that approximately 50,000 calls to HMRC have been terminated without resolution due to excessively long wait times, costing the UK economy an estimated £275 million annually in lost productivity.
Robert Jenrick, the party's Treasury spokesman, stated that the policy aims to 'restore basic fairness' by incentivizing tax officials to improve their performance. He also criticized larger companies, such as Serco, Deliveroo, and Vodafone, for alleged exploitation of taxpayers and employing illegal workers, emphasizing Reform UK's opposition to 'crony capitalism'.
Reform UK plans to hold its first dedicated 'business day' at its upcoming party conference in Birmingham in early September, aiming to engage with industry leaders.