Reform UK proposes £30 tax credit for HMRC phone delays

Reform UK has proposed a policy to provide a £30 non-refundable tax credit to individuals who wait on the phone to HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) for more than 30 minutes. Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick announced that the credit would be limited to two instances per tax year to prevent abuse.

The party aims to improve tax authority performance by linking the pay of senior HMRC officials to customer service targets, with the threat of dismissal for those who fail to meet objectives. This proposal follows reports that average waiting times increased to 23 minutes in 2023/24 and that approximately 50,000 calls were ended by HMRC without resolution due to excessive wait times.

Additionally, Reform UK plans to replace current UK privacy rules, which they claim mirror restrictive EU GDPR standards, with a more lenient framework modeled on New Zealand’s legislation to reduce regulatory burdens on small businesses and tech firms.