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Complaints about HM Revenue & Customs have reached a five-year high, new data has shown, as the tax office continues to miss its targets for overall customer satisfaction, answering phone calls and responding to post.

The number of taxpayers who complained about HMRC hit 93,589 in 2024-25, up from 78,542 complaints in 2020-21, according to data released under the Freedom of Information Act.

The rise in complaints occurred at the same time as an increase in the number of cases in which redress was paid by the tax authority, from 11,333 in 2020-21 to 15,304 in 2024-25. The average amount paid in cases where financial redress was made was just £125.27 in 2024-25, the lowest over the five-year period.

Separate service data released by HMRC this month showed the department missed its service targets for answering phone calls, responding to post, and overall customer satisfaction in the nine months to December 2025.

“Every year thousands of people suffer financial loss, wasted time and needless distress because HMRC struggles to deliver the basics,” said Andrew Park, partner at Price Bailey, an accountancy firm.

“HMRC is pushing taxpayers towards digital systems that are not yet ready, while withdrawing the human support people still need. This is a combination that risks compounding operational difficulties and driving complaints even higher.”

HMRC’s service dashboard indicates that there is delayed service in several areas such as marriage allowance claims, repayments of tax from employments or pensions, self-assessment repayments and penalty appeals.

Frank Haskew, head of taxation strategy at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, said: “When repayments are not being processed, that can cause real hardship for taxpayers.”

Although, HMRC was getting closer to meeting some of its key service targets, the delays in responding to post and processing repayments continued to cause frustration for taxpayers and their advisers, he added.

Emma Rawson, director of public policy at the Association of Taxation Technicians, a professional body, said the ongoing service issues meant “the increase in complaints is sadly unsurprising”.

“Making a formal complaint will often be a last resort option, and many cases will only come at the end of a protracted attempt to resolve issues through the usual routes,” she added.

“Although HMRC are making investments in staff levels and training, there is clearly more work to be done here.”

The FOIs were submitted by the Contentious Tax Group, a network of accountants, solicitors and other tax disputes specialists who meet to discuss matters relating to HMRC tax enforcement.

In recent years, the National Audit Office has criticised HMRC for its customer service, arguing that funding pressures, job cuts and a push to reduce costs by encouraging people to manage their tax affairs online had all led to worse call-handling performance by HMRC.

In March 2024, HMRC halted plans to dramatically cut back its helplines with just two days’ notice after a backlash from professional bodies.

HMRC said: “The figures cited are from the past. This year, complaints are down and our quality of service is up. Despite successfully handling tens of millions of queries a year our average phone wait time is now less than 14 minutes. We’re also investing £500 million in digital services so more people can manage their tax quickly and easily online without even needing to call us.”