Tax officer caught 'letting rip' at businesswoman

A tax officer who mans HMRC phonelines has been recorded calling a businesswoman caller a “f***ing bitch”.

The foul-mouthed Revenue employee clearly thought he had put the woman on mute, when he muttered the insult under his breath in March.

But the Glasgow-based woman, reportedly a manager from Glasgow who has asked not to be named, demanded a recording of their conversation.

She told the Scottish Mail on Sunday that nothing she said to the HMRC officer “warranted such a negative reaction”, as she was only asking a few questions about a possible tax rebate.   

“I’ve never been called these words in my personal or professional life”, the Scot also told the paper. “[I] was just gobsmacked when he let rip. It was just so upsetting.”

An offer of compensation of £30 was upped by HMRC to £730, after the woman rejected the initial “good will gesture” and wrote a letter of compliant to HMRC CEO John Thompson.

Despite reportedly being fobbed off for months, she has since received both her rebate and an apology for the “unacceptable language”. Any disciplinary action against the HMRC call-handler has not been disclosed.