Customer service standards

Overview

Our customer service standards tell you about the standard of service you can expect from us.

We want to make it easy and quick for you to do business with us. To help us to help you, we ask that you have your Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) or Tax Reference Number and other necessary details ready when contacting us.

We aim to provide a high quality service. To test the quality of our telephone service, we record calls.

Letters from customers are carefully managed to give replies quickly.

We use customer surveys, customer panels and focus groups to hear directly from the public about their experience of dealing with us.

These commitments and standards recognise changing customer expectations. They also reflect increasing digital capability and the availability of 24 hours a day, 7 days a week service. In addiiton, they include the evolution in our business model to 'Digital first and innovation' in line with the Public Service Reform 2030 strategy: Building on our strengths.

Our service delivery can vary between peak[1] and off-peak periods. We appreciate your patience and understanding during these peak periods. To avoid being caught up in peak period delays, you should use our online services, myAccount or the Revenue Online Service (ROS). They are the quickest, easiest and most convenient way for you to do your business with us.

Our online service, myAccount, is a single access point to a wide range of online services (except ROS for business customers). We have a secure online enquiry facility, MyEnquiries, for use by taxpayers and tax advisors. This means that we can securely send and receive messages that contain sensitive business information. You can also track the progress of your enquiry by viewing the 'Status column on the 'Enquiries Record' screen through myAccount or ROS.

myAccount also includes a Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) feature which adds an additional layer of security to your online account. It works by sending a one-time code to your mobile phone each time you log in. This will then need to be provided, along with your existing Revenue login credentials, in order to sign in to myAccount.

We will carefully protect information you give us. Taxpayers' details are treated confidentially.

[1] Peak periods are usually as follows:

• Pay As You Earn (PAYE) customers:
  • November to mid-April.
• Business and corporate customers:
  • end-January to end-February
  • and
  • end-September to mid-November.
• Local Property Tax (LPT) customers:
  • January
  • March
  • and
  • November to end-December.

Next: Customer service - commitments and standards