Reform UK is proposing a £30 tax rebate for individuals who experience phone wait times exceeding 30 minutes when contacting HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Robert Jenrick, Reform's economy spokesman, stated that the party views HMRC's treatment of taxpayers as "offensive to working people."
Under the proposed plan, the tax credit for lengthy phone delays would be capped at two instances per tax year to prevent misuse. Jenrick also pledged that the pay of senior HMRC officials would be linked to customer service performance metrics. This proposal comes in the wake of a critical report from a committee of MPs in January 2025, which accused HMRC of deliberately degrading its telephone services to push taxpayers toward digital channels. The report noted that nearly 44,000 customers were disconnected without warning after holding for over an hour in 2024, damaging trust in the tax system.
Jenrick highlighted these findings at a press conference in central London. "So, we will give HMRC a big incentive to actually provide proper customer service," he said. "I'm announcing today that under a Reform government, if you spend more than half an hour waiting for HMRC to answer your call, you will get a £30 credit off your tax bill. If HMRC delay, they can repay."
In addition to the tax rebate proposal, Jenrick outlined plans to replace UK privacy rules, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), with a "light-touch" approach to data protection. He argued that current regulations have "strangled" tech firms and small businesses. Reform suggests adopting a framework similar to New Zealand's privacy legislation. Labour has criticized these plans, stating they would "scrap vital safeguards that protect people's private data."