🇬🇧 United Kingdom • HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs)

How to call HMRC from abroad

Phone numbers

Primary international line

Self Assessment general enquiries (Outside UK, GOV.UK)
+44 161 931 9070
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The Self Assessment, Income Tax/PAYE, National Insurance Class 1-3, and VAT general lines checked 2026-09-09 list Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. UK time, closed bank holidays. UK time is GMT (UTC+0) or BST (UTC+1). The VAT page also says lines are less busy between 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.; that note is for VAT, not a measured wait for every HMRC line.

Other numbers

HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) number Browse numbers in United Kingdom by category →

HMRC does not have one international switchboard. Each service page on GOV.UK lists a UK 0300 number for callers in the UK and an Outside UK number for callers abroad. Self Assessment general enquiries publish +44 161 931 9070. Income Tax/PAYE enquiries and the non-UK residents Income Tax and Capital Gains page both publish +44 135 535 9022. National Insurance Class 1, 2 and 3 enquiries publish +44 191 203 7010. VAT general enquiries publish +44 2920 501 261. UK 0800/0808 freephone lines are built for domestic callers and often will not connect from abroad. Do not treat a 0300 printed on a letter as the published overseas contact when the same GOV.UK page lists an Outside UK number.

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About HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs)

Those Outside UK numbers are ordinary UK geographic lines. A call from abroad is a paid international call on your network or on a browser-to-phone service. GOV.UK does not promise a free international HMRC call. Confirm the number on the contact page for your issue before you dial. Listed WorldDial rates checked on 13 September 2026: $0.03/min to UK landlines. The live dialer shows WorldDial's price before you connect. If your own plan already includes cheap calls to UK geographic numbers, use that plan.

Why calling from abroad is difficult

✗UK 0800/0808 freephone numbers are funded for domestic callers and often will not connect from abroad
✗There is no single HMRC international number; the wrong Outside UK line cannot see every account type
✗Some helplines use speech recognition and telephone security against the details on the Personal Tax Account or business tax account
✗UK 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. is late morning to late evening in much of Asia and early morning in the Americas
✗Class 4 National Insurance has a separate UK 0300 on the National Insurance page and does not list an Outside UK number in that subsection

Calling costs from abroad

Method	Typical cost	Notes
WorldDial	Listed WorldDial UK landline rate $0.03/min on 13 September 2026; check the dialer	Browser-to-phone; not a free HMRC call
Your mobile or home plan	Depends on the allowance	UK-inclusive plans may be cheaper for +44 geographic numbers; 0800 may still fail
Hotel or business phone	Usually high	Confirm the rate before a long hold

Common reasons to call HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs)

Self Assessment return, payment, penalty, or Making Tax Digital question when the digital assistant cannot finish itPAYE tax code, P800, or Income Tax overpayment/underpayment when the Personal Tax Account cannot finish itIncome Tax, Capital Gains, UK allowances, or Double Taxation questions when you live or work abroadNational Insurance gaps, paying National Insurance abroad, or a certificate of coverage (PDA1/A1)VAT registration, returns, or Making Tax Digital for VAT when the VAT online account cannot finish itP85 or leaving-the-UK tax questions when the published online path cannot finish the task

How to call HMRC (HM Revenue and Customs) with WorldDial

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Practical tips

💡Open the GOV.UK contact page for your exact issue and use the Outside UK number printed there, not a number remembered from a letter
💡Try the Personal Tax Account, business tax account, HMRC app, or the digital assistant before you call
💡Have your National Insurance number. For Self Assessment also have the Unique Taxpayer Reference. For VAT have the VAT registration number and postcode
💡HMRC will not give a National Insurance number over the phone; confirmation is posted and can take up to 10 working days
💡If speech recognition or extra support is a problem, follow the extra-support link on that GOV.UK contact page rather than guessing DTMF timing

Frequently asked questions

What is HMRC's international phone number?

There is not one number. Self Assessment general enquiries: +44 161 931 9070. Income Tax/PAYE and non-UK residents Income Tax/CGT: +44 135 535 9022. National Insurance Class 1, 2 and 3: +44 191 203 7010. VAT general enquiries: +44 2920 501 261. Confirm on the GOV.UK page for your issue. The contact directory is at gov.uk/government/organisations/hm-revenue-customs/contact.

Can I call HMRC for free from abroad?

GOV.UK does not publish an international toll-free HMRC line. UK 0800/0808 freephone numbers often fail from abroad. The published Outside UK numbers are paid international calls on your network or a calling app. WorldDial shows its own per-minute price in the dialer before you connect.

What are HMRC's opening hours?

The Self Assessment, Income Tax/PAYE, National Insurance Class 1-3, and VAT general pages checked 2026-09-09 list Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. UK time, closed bank holidays. Convert with the current UK offset (GMT or BST). The VAT page says lines are less busy between 8:30 a.m. and 11:00 a.m.; that is not a wait-time measurement for other helplines.

What should I have before calling?

National Insurance number if you have one. Unique Taxpayer Reference for Self Assessment. VAT registration number and postcode for VAT. The tax year and any notice reference. Some lines also check that your Personal Tax Account or business tax account details are up to date before telephone security will pass.

Is there an online way to handle this instead of calling?

Yes for many tasks. GOV.UK tells you to use the Personal Tax Account, business tax account, HMRC app, and digital assistant first. The non-UK residents page also has a signed-in enquiry form for Income Tax, Capital Gains, UK allowances, Double Taxation Agreements, and general residence. Call when that path cannot complete the task.

Why doesn't an 0800 HMRC number work from abroad?

UK 0800/0808 numbers are domestic freephone. From abroad they often will not complete. Use the Outside UK number on the same GOV.UK contact page.

Should I dial the 0300 number on my HMRC letter?

If you are in the UK, the 0300 on that service page is the published domestic number. From abroad, GOV.UK prints a separate Outside UK number on the same page. This landing uses those Outside UK numbers as call actions. We do not add a 0300 dial button for overseas readers.

Can I call HMRC from France or Spain?

Yes. Dial the published +44 Outside UK number for your issue. France and Spain do not get a different HMRC switchboard. Confirm the current row on GOV.UK.

Does National Insurance give my number over the phone?

No. The National Insurance enquiries page says you will not be given your National Insurance number over the phone. It is posted and can take up to 10 working days. Use the Personal Tax Account or HMRC app when you can.