Online tax appeals show higher success rate

More taxpayers’ appeals against HMRC succeed in getting through – first time and without being rejected – when they are submitted online.

Speaking late last week, the Ministry of Justice said its new digital service to contest tax bills was already “drastically cutting the number of applications being returned.”

The decrease is because incomplete or inaccurate forms can be amended over the phone with the help of officials from HM Courts and Tribunal Service.

At least 2,000 taxpayers have so far used the system, which avoids the need to print out, manually fill in or pay to send any tax forms in the post.

Made entirely online, the appeals get submitted to the tax tribunal service for consideration by a judge and, only if necessary, lead to a hearing.

The MoJ said: “The simplified forms spell out exactly what steps applicants must have already taken, preventing people from wasting time submitting applications which are then returned.

“The online tax system continues to develop and in the early stages of 2018 will be extended to cater for an increased range of business.”