Get help from HMRC if you need extra support

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1. Help you can get

You can get extra support if your health condition or personal circumstances make it difficult when you contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). For example:

  • you have dyslexia, autism or cognitive difficulties
  • you have reduced mobility or physical disabilities
  • you have sensory disabilities, like a visual, hearing or speech impairment
  • you have mental health conditions, like depression, stress or anxiety
  • you’re experiencing financial hardship - for example you cannot afford essentials like food, bills or rent
  • you’re a victim of domestic abuse, including economic abuse
  • you’re receiving treatment in hospital

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

If you need extra support, you can get a phone or video appointment with the extra support team. Ask your advisor when you call an HMRC helpline or use the extra support team webchat service.

Contact HMRC online services if you’re having problems signing in or using an HMRC online service.

There are different ways to contact HMRC if you need:

2. If you cannot use a telephone and need a different way to contact HMRC

There are other ways to contact HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) than by telephone. You might need to use another form of contact if:

  • you’re deaf, hearing impaired or hard of hearing
  • you have a speech impairment
  • you use British Sign Language (BSL)
  • you have difficulty using the telephone

Text Service (Relay UK)

Dial 18001 then the relevant contact number to use the Relay UK Text Service.

Example

The ‘Income Tax: general enquiries’ helpline is 0300 200 3300.

Dial 18001 0300 200 3300 to contact the ‘Income Tax: general enquiries’ helpline by text relay.

HMRC also offers a textphone service for some of its helplines.

Webchat

You can contact HMRC’s extra support team using webchat.

If you use British Sign Language (BSL)

You can contact HMRC using a BSL video interpreter from the InterpretersLive! service.

Home visits and appointments

You can ask HMRC’s extra support team for a face-to-face appointment or home visit.

Fill in an online appointment form to arrange a meeting. Once you’ve completed the form, you’ll need to email it to HMRC. The email address is on the online form.

3. If you need information in a different format

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) information is available in accessible formats. You might need an alternative format if:

  • you’re visually impaired
  • you have dyslexia or autism
  • you have another condition which makes standard print difficult

Contact HMRC if you need a form, leaflet or other information in any of the following formats:

  • Braille
  • large print
  • audio on CD
  • text on CD (standard or large print)
  • other formats, for example coloured paper

Call the relevant contact number and tell HMRC what help you need. For example, call ‘Self Assessment: general enquiries’ if you need a large-print tax return. They will transfer you to HMRC’s extra support team.

You can also contact HMRC’s extra support team using webchat.

4. If you need help filling in forms

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can help you with filling in forms. You might need help if:

  • you have a mental health condition, like depression, stress or anxiety
  • you have a visual impairment, dyslexia, autism or cognitive difficulties
  • you have another condition which makes filling in forms difficult
  • you’re experiencing financial hardship - for example you cannot afford essentials like food, bills or rent
  • you’re a victim of domestic abuse, including economic abuse

To get help with filling in forms, call the relevant contact number and tell HMRC what help you need. They will transfer you to HMRC’s extra support team.

You can also contact HMRC’s extra support team using webchat.

5. If you need more time because of your circumstances

In certain circumstances, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) can give you an extension to a deadline or spend more time with you on the phone. You can ask for more time if, for example:

  • you have a mental health condition, like depression, stress or anxiety
  • you have a visual impairment, dyslexia, autism or cognitive difficulties
  • you have another condition which means you need more time
  • you’re experiencing financial difficulties - for example, if you’ve been laid off because of coronavirus (COVID-19)
  • you’re receiving treatment in hospital (someone else can ask HMRC for you)
  • you’re a victim of domestic abuse, including economic abuse

To ask for more time because of your circumstances, call the relevant contact number and tell HMRC what help you need. They will transfer you to HMRC’s extra support team. You may need to prove why you need more time.

You can also contact HMRC’s extra support team using webchat.

6. If you need information in another language

You can use a friend or family member as an interpreter when you phone HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).

They must be over 16 and will need to be in the same room as you when you call HMRC.

HMRC may also be able to organise an interpreter for you.

Use the relevant contact number, for example the Self Assessment helpline, if you need help with your tax return.

7. If you need someone to talk to HMRC for you

If you find it difficult to deal with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) yourself, you can appoint someone to talk to HMRC for you. This can be a friend, relative or an adviser from a voluntary organisation.