Tax site crashes after huge demand

The HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tax calculator was supposed to allow users to work out how much tax they can expect to pay and how it will be distributed.

However, internet users hoping to access the new website yesterday were faced with an apology as it buckled under the pressure of 400,000 hits.

The message said: “Sorry, the HMRC Tax Calculator is currently not available. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Please try again later.”

A spokesman said: “There are thousands and thousands of people trying to use it. It’s slow to get going. It’s purely because of the phenomenal demand.”

The calculator was launched as a mobile phone app downloadable from the Apple Store and Google Play, as well as being available from the HMRC website.

Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury David Gauke unveiled the initiative yesterday.

He said: “We think it is right that people know how much tax they pay and what the Government spends it on. At the moment, over half of taxpayers do not know how much income tax and National Insurance they pay in a year.

“Our new tax calculator will allow them to find out, which is a big step towards a more transparent, 21st century system.”

The innovation is part of a drive by Chancellor George Osborne to ensure taxpayers have a better idea about how ministers use their money. From 2014-15, 20 million taxpayers will receive personal statements detailing their contributions to state spending. The app will allow taxpayers to make the calculations themselves.

More than half of taxpayers – 57 per cent – do not know how much income tax and national insurance they pay in a year, according to a poll commissioned by the HMRC from TNS Omnibus.