Department working with supplier to fix ‘external network issue’ preventing inbound and outbound communications

HM Revenue and Customs is suffering an email outage that is preventing inbound and outbound communications with businesses and individuals.

The department has put out a service availability update revealing that, due to an unspecified issue, it is currently having problems receiving and sending emails. Other forms of communication are unaffected, according to HMRC.

“HMRC are currently experiencing an ongoing issue with email, preventing communication both in and out,” said the department. “This is impacting customer submissions and business helpdesks. HMRC apologises for the inconvenience this is causing and is urgently working for a quick resolution. Please note that it is only email that is impacted.”

PublicTechnology contacted HMRC requesting additional information on the scale and cause of the issue, and when it was first noticed. 

In response, an HMRC spokesperson said: “We are aware of a wider external network issue that is affecting a number of organisations in the UK, including HMRC. We are working closely with our supplier to fix it as quickly as possible.”