DMBM666560 - Enforcement action: county court proceedings: reviewing the enforcement strategy: interviewing debtors by phone

Some content of this manual is being considered for archiving. If there is content you use regularly, please email hmrcmanualsteam@hmrc.gov.uk to let us know as soon as possible.

The primary objective when interviewing the judgment debtor over the telephone is to obtain payment. Failing that you should gather information from the conversation to determine them most effective way of enforcing the judgment.

You should also advise the judgment debtor of the consequences of not paying.

Before the interview

Because you are not completing the 'Statement of County Court Judgment Debtor’s circumstances’ (this has to be signed by the judgment debtor) there is no need to warn the judgment debtor of possible prosecution on the basis of their answers.

Conducting the interview

The techniques detailed in DMBM666550 apply equally to telephone interviews.

Recording the information

You should record all details of the judgment debtor’s assets, income and expenditure on an Income and Expenditure form (36A-1).

Do not complete the 'Statement of County Court Judgment Debtor’s circumstances’ form over the telephone.