His Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has issued an urgent alert after a technical fault forced the closure of its telephone helplines. The tax authority confirmed the disruption on social media platform X, stating it is 'urgently working' to resolve the problem.
Apology and Immediate Advice for Taxpayers
In a post published at 12:12pm on Wednesday, 15 January 2026, HMRC apologised to customers for the inconvenience. The message advised callers to 'try calling us later' while engineers address the technical failure. The tax office was quick to highlight that its extensive range of digital services remains fully operational and accessible for those needing immediate assistance.
To help taxpayers navigate the situation, HMRC directed the public to the UK Government's official website (GOV.UK) for guidance on accessing support online. The primary recommendation is to download and use the free HMRC mobile application, available on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.
What You Can Do Using the HMRC App
With phone lines temporarily unavailable, the HMRC app becomes a critical tool for millions. Once users create a personal ID, they can log in securely using a six-digit PIN, fingerprint, or facial recognition. The application allows individuals to manage a wide array of tax affairs directly from their smartphones.
Key information accessible via the app includes your current tax code, National Insurance number, income and benefits details, and your employment history from the past five years. For the self-employed, it provides the Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) for Self Assessment and details of any tax owed.
Notable functions of the HMRC app include:
- Checking your State Pension forecast and Child Benefit details.
- Identifying and making payments for gaps in your National Insurance record.
- Claiming a tax refund if you have overpaid.
- Making payments for Self Assessment or Simple Assessment bills.
- Updating your personal details like your name and address.
- Using the built-in tax calculator to work out your take-home pay.
Record App Usage Shows Digital Shift
HMRC's push towards digital services is reflected in recent usage statistics. Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Chief Customer Officer, noted that during 2025, the app was downloaded more than four million times and saw over 136 million customer logins.
Ms Lloyd explained that the app has seen 'strong growth' in several areas, with a significant increase in older adults checking their State Pension forecasts. Hundreds of thousands also used it to manage Child Benefit claims. The feature allowing users to save their National Insurance number to a digital wallet has remained particularly popular.
This technical outage underscores the increasing reliance on HMRC's digital infrastructure. While the phone line fault is being addressed, the department is encouraging taxpayers to explore the app's capabilities, not just for immediate queries but also to facilitate broader financial conversations within families.
