HMRC found that over a third of calls last year to its Agent Dedicated Line (ADL) were chasing self-assessment repayments. In an attempt to make better use of resources, agents must now wait until the expected date from the where's my reply tool  has passed before contacting HMRC for an update. When calling the ADL, a new option will be available specifically for self-assessment repayments.

In response to feedback from agents, the ADL and a new, agent dedicated, webchat will now deal with both self-assessment and PAYE queries. However, to ensure fairness and reduce waiting times, agents can discuss a maximum of five customers per call or webchat session, for a maximum of one hour.

Further details on HMRC waiting times and how to contact it can be found here.