Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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251. To ask the Minister for Finance the average waiting times for the Revenue Commissioners' jobs and pensions phone helpline; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14420/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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252. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans for the Revenue Commissioners' public offices to reopen following the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14421/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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253. To ask the Minister for Finance his plans to extend the operating hours of the Revenue Commissioners' jobs and pensions phone helplines beyond the current 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. hours to deal with the high volume of calls; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14422/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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254. To ask the Minister for Finance the total number of queries dealt with by the Revenue Commissioners in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form; if these calls are from businesses or individuals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14423/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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255. To ask the Minister for Finance the average response time to queries submitted to the ROS online MyEnquiries service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14424/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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256. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of queries submitted to the ROS MyEnquiries service in each of the years 2018 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14425/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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257. To ask the Minister for Finance when the current virtual video appointment was established by the Revenue Commissioners; the average wait time for a virtual video appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14426/22]

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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258. To ask the Minister for Finance the number of virtual video appointments facilitated by the Revenue Commissioners since its inception; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14427/22]

Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 251, 252, 253, 254, 255, 256, 257 and 258 together.

I am advised by Revenue that the total number of taxpayer queries dealt with through its telephone and MyEnquiries service channels for the years 2018 to 2022 (to date) is set out in the table below. Revenue has also confirmed that approximately 68% of queries received through MyEnquiries were responded to within 5 days in 2021, while over 90% were responded to within 20 days. (Revenue’s Customer Service Standard across all service channels is within 20 days, or 25 days during peak periods.) Taxpayer queries where further information is needed or where there are complex issues involved can sometimes take longer than the normal 20 day/25 day turnaround time.

Regarding the average waiting times for the PAYE Helpline, Revenue has confirmed that the peak period for this service occurs during the early months of the year (January to April) when taxpayers submit their income tax returns for the previous year/s, claim any refunds or reliefs to which they are entitled, and check their tax credits for the current year. To date in 2022, the PAYE service has processed over 730,000 tax returns, answered more than 163,000 telephone calls, and dealt with over 224,000 items of correspondence received through the online services and the post.

To ensure optimum support to PAYE taxpayers throughout the year, Revenue continuously reviews its service channels and deploys its resources on an agile basis to meet demand. For example, analysis of PAYE taxpayer telephone activity indicates that most contacts are received during the morning, with much reduced demand in the afternoon. Operating the PAYE Helpline from 9.30am to 1.30pm each day ensures that the service is there to meet demand while also ensuring adequate resources are available to provide timely replies to queries received through the increasing online channel and through the post. The service is currently answering between 4,000 and 5,000 calls per day while also responding to between 4,500 and 6,000 correspondence items per day.

Revenue has acknowledged that the average waiting time on the PAYE telephone service during the current peak period is approximately ten minutes. Much of this delay is attributed to clarifying the taxation arrangements for Pandemic Unemployment Payments (PUP) and Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS) payments, which can result in some calls taking longer than would normally be the case. It is expected that this waiting time will reduce over the coming weeks as the peak period passes.

Regarding public office arrangements, I am aware that Revenue has invested very significantly in IT based solutions that allow taxpayers manage their tax affairs at a time that suits them, for the most part without the need to engage directly with officials or visit the tax office. These systems are available on a 24/7 basis, are intuitive and easy to use, and are secure to the highest standards. The online systems include the already mentioned MyEnquiries service, which allows taxpayers send queries to Revenue should they need to do so. As already outlined, most of these queries are responded to within 5 days. The year on year increase in online activity (2020 had reduced customer queries due to COVID-19) is testament to the popularity of the services with taxpayers and significantly negates the requirement to operate public offices.

However, Revenue accepts that there will always be a requirement for direct discussions where more complex issues exist or where a taxpayer experiences IT related difficulties. To support taxpayers and tax agents where such circumstances arise, Revenue provides a virtual appointment service, which can be booked through a dedicated telephone number (01-7383660). The appointment service started in March 2020 and has received over 250 requests to date. Appointments are usually facilitated within two days of the request.

Revenue has confirmed that it will expand the virtual appointments service to include face to face appointments as part of its post-pandemic blended working arrangements. It is anticipated that this service will be available in the coming weeks as the blended working arrangements are bedded in.

*Includes calls to the Collector-General’s Office, the ROS Helpdesk, Vehicle Registration Tax, Customs, Stamping and Local Property Tax.  

Excludes queries received through the post.