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Accessibility statement for webchat and digital assistant service

This accessibility statement explains how accessible this service is, what to do if you have difficulty using it, and how to report accessibility problems with the service.

This service is part of the wider GOV.UK website. There is a separate accessibility statement for the main GOV.UK website.

This page only contains information about the webchat and digital assistant service, available at https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/ask-hmrc.

Using this service

The Ask HMRC webchat and digital assistant are services that enable you to communicate with an HMRC adviser or digital assistant over the internet. Both services are built by Nuance, a provider of customer engagement software.

This service is run by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). We want as many people as possible to be able to use this service. This means you should be able to:

  • change colours, contrast levels and fonts
  • zoom in up to 400% without the text spilling off the screen
  • get from the start of the service to the end using just a keyboard
  • get from the start of the service to the end using speech recognition software
  • listen to the service using a screen reader (including the most recent versions of JAWS, NVDA and VoiceOver)

We have also made the text in the service as simple as possible to understand.

AbilityNet has advice on making your device easier to use if you have a disability.

How accessible this service is

This service is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard.

Some people may find parts of this service difficult to use:

  • Keyboard-navigation users may be confused when their focus is transferred to a text field after selecting ‘turn notification sound off/on’, ‘decrease/increase chat size’ and ‘send message’ buttons.
  • When users navigate to the page, the page title describes the chat pop-up, rather than main page content. Screen-reader users may not be able to correctly identify the page's purpose.
  • Screen-reader users may find it difficult to correctly identify page structure with the chat pop up as it’s missing a landmark that helps screen-reader users to identify its purpose.
  • Heading levels differ between the page’s markup structure and the page’s visual structure, which could be a problem for screen-reader users.
  • When providing feedback, screen-reader users may not be able to identify important instructions as it has not been marked up correctly.
  • Users are not notified that the service is in error when the chat has not loaded due to technical issues or when JavaScript has been disabled. (this covers 2 separate issues 10690 and 10684)
  • Chat pop-ups get in the way of the elements on the main page, which prevents keyboard-navigation users from correctly identifying which element the focus is on.
  • The white icon on a yellow background that displays when the chat pop-up is expanded or collapsed is hardly visible.
  • Screen-reader users may believe that a message is coming from an advisor when it is coming from the digital assistant (bot), as it is not announced correctly.
  • The PDF of the chat transcript does not have a correct page structure and does not allow a ‘reflow’ state. The timestamped copies are marked up as heading but placed after the message, so heading does not describe content because it's placed after the relevant content. This makes it difficult to understand document structure correctly, especially users with motor impairment, who rely on a screen reader or screen magnification to view the PDF.
  • Users who rely on screen magnification may find it difficult to use the chat, as the content gets obscured when the page is ‘zoomed in’.

What to do if you have difficulty using this service

You can contact HMRC for extra support if you need help with filling in forms or getting a different format, like large print, audio recording or Braille.

Reporting accessibility problems with this service

We are always looking to improve the accessibility of this service. If you find any problems that are not listed on this page or think we are not meeting accessibility requirements, report the accessibility problem.

If you are not happy with our response

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) is responsible for enforcing the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (the 'accessibility regulations'). If you are not happy with how we respond to your complaint, contact the Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS) or the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland (ECNI) if you live in Northern Ireland.

Contacting us by phone or getting a visit from us in person

We provide a text relay service if you are deaf, hearing impaired or have a speech impediment.

We can provide a British Sign Language (BSL) interpreter, or you can arrange a visit from an HMRC advisor to help you complete the service.

Find out how to get extra support from HMRC.

Technical information about this service’s accessibility

HMRC is committed to making this service accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.

This service is partially compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2 AA standard, due to the non-compliances listed below.

Non‐accessible content

The content listed below is non-accessible for the following reasons.

Non‐compliance with the accessibility regulations

Focus shifted to ‘Enter the message’ text field when they interact with ‘Turn notification sound off/on’, ‘Decrease/increase chat size’ and ‘Send message’ buttons . This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.2.2 On Input Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

The page title on the page with chat pop up is set to 'popup- Ask [HMRC-GOV.UK](http://hmrc-gov.uk/)' and does not describe the main page content. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.2 Page Titled Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

Message subheadings have different heading levels which can mislead screen-reader users about page structure. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

Hint text is not associated with textarea. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.3.1 Info and Relationships Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

Missing error pages or error messages when service is in error state. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 3.3.1 Error Identification and 4.1.3 Status Messages Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

Chat pop-up obstructs elements in the focus. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

Chat pop-up button icon is not passing minimum colour contrast ratio. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

Incorrect ‘Advisor said’ heading applied on messages from digital assistant This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 Headings and Labels Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

PDF does not provide correct tagging of elements and not accommodating `reflow` state. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 2.4.6 Headings and Labels Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

Chat is not displaying content fully, preventing users from reading all content and accessing some of the functionality when the chat is zoomed in. This fails WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.4 Resize Text Criterion Description. This will be fixed by 31 May 2026.

How we tested this service

The service was last tested on 27 January 2026 and was checked for compliance with WCAG 2.2 AA.

The service was built using parts that were tested by the Digital Accessibility Centre. The full service was tested by HMRC and included disabled users.

This page was prepared on 28 January 2026. It was last updated on 14 May 2026.

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