HMRC to reduce postal communications

HMRC plans to move many of its postal communications to a digital format saving a huge £50 million every year in print and postage costs. Some of the letters being sent from HMRC can already be accessed using the HMRC app which gives you instant access to important information and will help to bring down costs to taxpayers by reducing print and carrier fees.

Instead of sending letters, HMRC plans to send emails and SMS message to customers to prompt them to login to the HRMC app to access their communications.

What are the benefits of switching to digital communications?

HMRC claims that it will save around £50 million every single year on print and postage costs, reducing the burden on the taxpayer and freeing up funds to be spent elsewhere. But there are a range of additional benefits to digital communications:

• Security – the app uses multiple layers of protection to keep your personal information safe, and only the addressee will have access to communications.
• Speed – important messages will be delivered in real-time rather than having to wait for post to arrive.
• Access – communications can be accessed on-the go (similar to an online banking app)
• Customer Experience – as part of its commitment to becoming a digital first organisation HMRC aims to improve the customer experience by investing in digital communications.
• Reducing Scams – some of our clients have reported receiving scam letters which appear to be from HMRC, many asking for payments to be made. Moving to a digital first approach should help to reduce these scams as individuals will be able to check whether a communication is genuine as only messages from HMRC will appear in the app.

How to ensure you’re still receiving important communications from HMRC

The good news is that there’s plenty of time to make sure you’re still receiving all of your important messages from HMRC as they have yet to finalise a date for the completion of the switch to digital messages. It’s also important to remember that HMRC have also committed to ensuring that customers who are not able to receive digital communications will continue to have access to all of the information and support they require.

As well as storing your HMRC communications the HMRC App has a range of benefits, including instant access to your tax code, National Insurance number and your income and benefits. If you don’t already have the HMRC app we’re recommending that all of our clients download the app and begin to get familiar with using it. You can read all about the benefits and download the HMRC app today via our article below.

If you’d prefer to receive emails rather than letters you can already access some of your communications via the HMRC App. If you’ve already downloaded the app simply select ‘Communication’ from the main menu and follow the simple instructions to set up paperless communications.