Taxpayers won’t be penalised for missing self-assessment deadline

SCOTTISH taxpayers will not be fined for missing today’s deadline for self-assessment returns as thousands of tax office workers strike over privatisation plans.

Members of the Public and Commercial Services union (PCS) across the UK are protesting against the use of two private companies in call centres in Bathgate, West Lothian, and Lillyhall in Cumbria.

Penalties will not be issued to anyone filing returns on 1 or 2 February.

A year-long trial period is due to begin next month for companies Sitel and Teleperformance in the two centres at a time of huge cuts to public sector personnel.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “Our members in tax offices want to do a good job and provide the best possible advice and help to taxpayers, but there are fewer of them working in fewer offices as a result of misguided and damaging cuts.

“Instead of making even more cuts and throwing public money at private companies, ministers should be investing in their staff and tackling the billions in tax avoided and evaded by the super-rich.”

An HMRC spokesman said: “HMRC is not privatising existing HMRC contact centre jobs but we are determined to improve the service we provide to our customers. This means considering a variety of options including drawing on the knowledge and experience of external contact centre operators. Industrial action is unwarranted and unnecessary.”