IR speeds up web messaging response times for Account Manager Service

Inland Revenue (IR) has made changes to its Account Manager Service (AMS) for tax agents as it adjusts to post-COVID changes in demand.

Responses to its latest Tax Agents Voice of Customer (TAVOC) survey showed agents wanted faster responses to web messages.

“Across the COVID period, we went from high demand for phone services to more web messaging, which became the preferred channel,” says Helen Mitchell, Relationship Manager in Taxation Services, a business area of IR’s Community Compliance unit.

“There was an accompanying drop in responsiveness, so we’ve redeployed staff to cut response times to an average 10 to 15 days.”

Response times

Response times to web messages have fallen and satisfaction has risen three percentage points to 73 per cent.

The Account Manager service has been in place since 2003, with approximately 93 account managers across the country managing up to 106 tax agents or agencies.

To encourage tax agents to take part, says Mitchell, IR has been publishing survey results and its responses in a newsletter subscription service.

Survey questions

The survey questions change quarter by quarter to include topical issues.

Canvassing tax agents for input helps to tailor the questions and gain an understanding from an external perspective to inform decisions, Mitchell says.

“There is an educational element to the service too, and insights from the survey help us to identify opportunities for improvement.”

Part of that educational function is to better acquaint agents with how the service should be used, Mitchell says.

The survey has highlighted that some of the contacts with account managers relate to actions a tax agent could resolve themselves through self-service options available in myIR or web content.

For example, the most common contacts are made about filing or correcting tax returns, making or querying a payment or refund, and managing client lists.

The account manager service assists tax agents with exceptional issues which may include returns outside the processing standards.

Sometimes, says Mitchell, it may be easier and quicker for a tax agent to contact their account manager. But where it’s not a genuinely exceptional issue, managers will ask the agent to use other channels.

Authorities to Act 

The service also conducts regular checks on Authorities to Act to ensure tax agents have the correct authority to act on behalf of their clients and the right to access their information.

Another key aspect is risk and integrity checks where a tax agent’s own compliance is monitored to ensure debt and outstanding returns are addressed.

Filing performance

IR also monitors throughout the year a tax agent’s filing performance, with an expectation that they file 100 per cent by 31 March.

While most agents take some form of action before contacting AMS, some don’t.

“We’re looking at further education on this too,” notes Mitchell.

For example, an agent might be expecting a refund or a transfer which has been submitted incorrectly or outside of IR’s processing standards.

Of those cases, says Mitchell, AMS will investigate and see if resolution can be speeded up.

“If you have a genuinely exceptional or urgent issue, the most direct contact with IR is by phone or email.

“Only if it’s not resolved within 15 working days should it be addressed to AMS.”

Agents can sign up to receive TAVOC survey reports here.