• Home
• Subjects
• Blog Roll
• Blindside
• Kable
• Advanced Search

• 

31 Jan 2008

User feedback on HMRC’s online tax return

So, it’s 31 Jan. In our heady customer-oriented 24/7 world how is the service of paying tax online treating customers?

Not too well, suggests the author of last year’s Downing Street Power of Information review:

Today is the 31st January 2008. That means all around the UK millions of people will be trying to pay their tax - it’s the last day before you start having to pay the government interest.

Where do you go if you want to pay your tax then? How about the HM Revenue and Customs Website?

Brilliant, there it is. Right…. now, erm…. hang on. How do I actually pay my tax? There’s no obvious button! In fact, the link to help you pay is below the fold on my browser, is in about 3 point text, being link number 8 in one of no fewer than 5 lists of links on the homepage. Once you click through the experience becomes even more unforgivably awful. In fact, I can’t actually bring myself to write it up.

Hilariously, there IS a great big homepage link to apply for online tax returns “In time to do it”, even though it’s now too late to apply. Genius - why not warn your users with menaces only to show your own ineptitude in the process: that way they’ll love you more!

This sort of incompetence isn’t as high profile as the loss of those two famous CDs, but it drives people away from the more efficient online services towards more costly phone and paper based transactions, and inconveniences millions of people at the same time.

I can’t add anything first hand. I hate the complexity of the process, and disagree with what is done with my money in my name so much I have to pay an accountant to have all direct dealings with the tribe.

PS: How do you locate the power of Information review? Need you ask?

• Posted by William Heath on 31/01/08 at 8:24pm
• Categories · "What do we want?" · Design: Co-creation · Design: user-oriented · Power of Information
• Comments (3)  Permalink

Ideal Government

Let's say what we want from e-enabled government. Let's observe government first-hand. Let's say "Wouldn't It Be Better If" (WIBBI). Become an ethnographer of bureaucracy today! It beats getting frustrated with public services.

Categories

• "What do we want?"
  • Wibbipedia/MindtheGap
  • Design: Co-creation
    • Online Maps
  • Design: user-oriented
  • Foundation of Trust
    • Identity
    • Data nitwittery
  • Save Time and Money
• Greener government IT
• Pertinent Art
• Power of Information
• Political engagement
• "Transformational Government"
• Government Procurement
• Across the Board
• Ideal Goverment - project

Comment

Anyone is free to comment. Or mail with an article if you want to be an author. I'll post it up and send you a password. This whole thing is supported by Kable.

Authors

Sign up for new articles

Copyright

Designed by...

Statistics

This page has been viewed 1000677 times

Entries: 1523 | Comments: 2374 | Trackbacks: 206
Most Recent Entry: 05/16/2008 10:36 pm
Most Recent Comment: 05/16/2008 11:49 am

Members: 185 | Logged in: 0 | Guests: 31
Most recent visitor: 05/17/2008 02:05 am
Most visitors ever: 443 on 10/12/2005 02:21 pm