I READ, with sympathy, the letter from Paul?Stevenson (Review, October 28, 2011) and I can fully appreciate the frustration, and possibly anger, at the inefficiency of HMRC.

He refers to the introduction by HMRC of a new system introduced in 2009.

They now have installed a new IT system which is supposed to be able to put things right. HMRC staff can now spot discrepancies and therefore more cases where people have over or under paid tax have come to light. It is an enhancement to the technology which enables automatic updates to tax codes from tax returns. It is called 'SA?Auto-coding.'

Following a tax code received by me on October 7 showing that this new computer system had worked out that my income for the current financial year had been assessed at being £6,000 more than my 2010/2011 income,?I made a phone call to the complaints office at Edinburgh plus I wrote to the Cardiff Tax Office to enquire how my income for the present year had been worked out at £6,000 extra.

In this tax notice I was informed that I owed for this current year £251.23 and the new tax code would be used immediately for my private pension provider. HMRC had changed my tax code using information on my tax return.

On Thursday October 27 I received a letter from the complaints department at Edinburgh a letter explaining how the assessment of an extra £6,000 had been reached.

Now I don't want anyone who has dealings with HMRC to smile too much at the reply I have relieved. Bearing in mind that a lot of taxpayers' money has been used in installing a super efficient IT system which will make it easier for the staff to spot discrepancies. It would appear that, in my case, the operator of the new super IT?SA Auto-coding system at Cardiff had inserted my total income from my 2010-2011 Tax Return but had then inserted my investment income again. 2010/2011 was a particularly good year for me because I had some long term bonds mature.

So, due to the operator putting wrong details into this super IT SA Auto-coding machine I had been wrongly issued with a new tax coding notice and accused of owing money to HMRC.

It would appear that no matter how much public money is spent in trying to improve the efficiency of HMRC, if the staff using the technology inserts wrong information and do not understand what they are doing we will still end up with an inefficient HMRC.

I wonder how many pensioners, not really understanding how inefficient HMRC is, worry about demands for payment and are too frightened to query the demands?

It seems to me that whilst the likes of myself and Paul?Stevenson are prepared to challenge the inefficiency of HMRC that department is prepared to continue making mistakes and will do so as long as the staff do not understand the system.

HMRC must be one of the most inefficient government departments. It must cost a fortune in the amount of hours spent by the staff having to correct faults and continuously send out letters.

Is there anyone employed by the Government who can sort the whole system out and save this country money and less stress to taxpayers?

– Janet P. Pennock, Ruardean Woodside.