HMRC leaves 85m calls unanswered

HMRC has failed to answer nearly 85m taxpayer calls over the past decade, according to new data from the House of Commons Library. An average of 22,700 calls went unanswered daily, with 1 in 5 calls not being picked up, including 6m last year. The Liberal Democrats warn that pensioners, who often seek phone advice, are particularly affected. Joshua Reynolds, the party's investment spokesman, said: "It's simply disgraceful to think that those people haven't been able to access the decent service they deserve from HMRC."