Preston City Tax Office is only open 2 days a week, Thurs and Fri 9.30 - 4.30

[dotty.]

What's that all about? The one in Chorley has closed altogether! Do they not want people pestering them or something?

[boxtops]

You're lucky, ours is closed altogether.

[dotty.]

Yes so is ours, which is why i will have to go to preston, but they don't bother opening all week, it's crazy, the tax year end is busy so why have they shut up shop?

[boxtops]

They'll probably say they are busy with all the P60s...

[karenmac60]

I remember stopping at a bank in Ballachullish once to withdraw some money and on the front door was a notice saying - Opening Hours: Tuesday :)

[gingejbee]

HMRC, like all government departments, is having to cut costs and reducing staffing levels is one of the ways to save money. So - not enough staff etc. It will be noticeable in all government departments soon.

[joeluke]

Thousands of HMRC staff were made redundant last year (I was one of them), offices closed left right and centre in a major cost cutting exercise, Government cutting it's nose off to spite it's face - on one hand they want to make people pay the tax they owe and catch the tax dodgers/fiddlers but on the other they dump staff so there's no one left to chase up/investigate these people!

[dotty.]

damn is Joe, I've done the return now grrr, should have added a bit to the capital allowances lol
Can't understand how it's all going to work when the website and call centre is so tied up in sending you out IDs and passwords. they just want you to fill it in online, sod that, it;'s being handed in in person and a reciept issued.

[albaqwerty]

Even when they were fullt staffed, they never got my tax credit correct. On one phne call the guy asked me 'why are you phoning'
me 'it beccause of a change of circumstances'
him 'oh and what are they'
me 'told him'
5 weeks later get another form through with incorrect details.
Sorry if this offends anyone, just make the incompetent plonkers redundant
end of rant

[karenmac60]

Tell me about it Alba. When me and mr mac got married I phoned to cancel our single claims and apply for a joint one - all fine they said. After a few weeks of not hearing I phoned - it's being dealt with they said. Kept phoning for weeks and kept being told it was being dealt with till finally someone told me I wasn't allowed to cancel mr mac's claim, it was still running and btw, we now owed them £1600! We've appealed and even supplied telephone recordings to the ombudsman to prove I did everything right and at no point did anyone tell me he had to phone in himself, but they are adamant :(