This morning I tried various Verified and Unverified geographic numbers listed for HMRC's Self Assessment Helpline.

The only one I could find that still works fine and gets you through to the normal front end IVR system, then a human operator (after a wait of several  minutes) and then a technical expert (if you need one) was 0161 931 9070 listed in the Unverified section as a geographic alternative for various different HMRC 0845 helplines.

All the other Self Assessment Helpline entries such as 023 9270 3003,  01236 783253, 0191 5411010 or 023 9240 1194 either no longer work (you get a message telling you to call an 0845 number instead) or they only get you through to an office that is not the actual Self Assessment Helpline.  For instance the Cumbernauld  01236 783253 number is only a Collection Office for Self Assessment tax but not a Helpline that can answer queries on completing your tax return (they also deny they can transfer you to the Self Assessment helpline).  Cumbernauld staff also insisted on lieing, till they were absolutely blue in the face (at both front line adviser and then supervisor level) that their 0845 numbers were definitely "local rate" and that I was wrong to claim they were not. :o >:( [smiley=thumbdown.gif]

So it seems a fair bit of updating of the Self Assessment listings for HMRC is now in order.

This number is for PAYE queries for employers - 023 9240 1194.  It worked for me - I'm in Kent.  It might work for other areas.

This site is excellent for finding elusive numbers.  The HMRC web site is worse than useless in giving you contact details.  The first person I spoke to could not deal with my query but gave me an 0845 number.  That didn't work.  I tried again and spoke to someone else who gave me two other 0845 numbers.  I checked with "saynoto0870" and found a geographic number.  It was answered very quickly and I found out that a leavers and starters who had been notified to the HMRC electronically had not been updated onto their system - one notification being 9 months ago !!  Luckily I kept the confirmation of receipt.

Kiwi_g wrote on Mar 22^nd, 2010 at 4:28pm:

This number is for PAYE queries for employers - 023 9240 1194.  It worked for me - I'm in Kent.  It might work for other areas.

See this posting. In the past, PAYE enquiries had to be dealt with at one's own office. A system has been implemented so that all offices can deal with enquiries from people from anywhere.

The trouble with our country is that we are being conned, many of us know that we are being conned, but people in the main just take it.  Welcome to rip-off Britain.  Thank god for this web site, but it's like the little Dutch boy with his finger in the d**e and I know we are losing.

Dave wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2010 at 12:59am:

Kiwi_g wrote on Mar 22nd, 2010 at 4:28pm: This number is for PAYE queries for employers - 023 9240 1194.  It worked for me - I'm in Kent.  It might work for other areas. See this posting. In the past, PAYE enquiries had to be dealt with at one's own office. A system has been implemented so that all offices can deal with enquiries from people from anywhere.

Regarding HMRC, I have never had to call um, but my Mum did..

She called the 0191 (international) number and had NO issues, the person was very helpful

I recently had a clearout of alternative numbers for HMRC which are apparently soon to be changed. I'm posting them here just in case they may be of use in the future.

These numbers are all answered with the same recording, which says that they will "soon be changing" to 0044 161 931 9070:

01253 846154
01274 899137
01355 359021
01506 476065
0151 471 8435
0161 210 3087
0191 203 7178
0191 501 6078
023 9240 1194
028 9053 8057

The 0161 931 9070 number is the Self Assessment helpline.

Further to my previous posting immediately above, I also removed defunct numbers for the "Taxes Helpline".

The numbers all answer with the same recording which redirects to 01355 359022 (albeit quoted in international format):

0151 471 8436
029 2050 1290