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SATURDAY, JULY 27, 1974
PROMPTER SALARIES TAX ASSESSMENTS
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COMPUTER ISATION IN THE SALARIES TAX SECTION OF THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT WILL ENABLE SALARIES TAX ASSESSMENTS TO BE ISSUED EARLIER THAN IN THE PAST.
THIS IN TURN WILL GIVE THE TAXPAYER LONGER ADVANCE WARNING OF THE AMOUNT OF TAX DUE AND WILL ENABLE THE DEPARTMENT TO SPREAD ITS WORK MORE EVENLY THAN IN THE PAST.
IT IS FOR INSTANCE HOPED THAT THE EXTREME CONGESTION IN THE COLLECTION OFFICE AND THE INCONVENIENCE EXPERIENCED BY THE PUBLIC THIS YEAR WILL NOT BE REPEATED.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THE DUE DATES FOR PAYMENT WILL IN THE MAIN STILL FALL IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF THE YEAR.
IN AN INTERVIEW, MR. IAN HARRIS, A SENIOR ASSESSOR WITH THE DEPARTMENT, DISCLOSED THAT THE FIRST BATCH OF COMPUTER- PRODUCED DEMAND NOTES WERE SENT TO TAXPAYERS ON WEDNESDAY (JULY 24).
THE USE OF THE COMPUTER IN PREPARING THESE HAS MEANT THAT THEY SHOULD REACH THE TAXPAYER ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE ASSESSOR HAS DETERMINED THE CORRECT INCOME AND ALLOWANCES, AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING LIKE EIGHT WEEKS IN THE PAST.
THIS SAVING IN TIME IS LARGELY A RESULT OF THE ELIMINATION OF BOTTLENECKS WHICH HAD DEVELOPED IN THE PAST IN CALCULATING THE TAX AND TYPING AND CHECKING THE ASSESSMENTS.
MR. HARRIS POINTED OUT THAT THE NUMBER OF SALARIES TAXPAYERS HAD INCREASED STEADILY OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. IN MARCH 1972, THE FIGURE STOOD AT 85,000, RISING TO 93,000 IN 1973 AND 120,000 THIS YEAR. HE PREDICTED THAT THIS WOULD LIKELY REACH 150,000 BY MARCH NEXT YEAR.
THIS DRAMATIC INCREASE HAS PLACED A HEAVY WORKLOAD ON STAFF. DURING PEAK PERIODS, RECOURSE HAS HAD TO BE MADE TO OVERTIME WHICH IS NEVER A VERY SATISFACTORY SOLUTION BECAUSE OF ITS HIGH COST IN TERMS OF BOTH MONEY AND MORALE.
APART THEREFORE FROM THE PROVISION OF A BETTER SERVICE TO THE GOVERNMENT AND THE PUBLIC, IT IS HOPED THAT THERE WILL BE SAYING IN TERMS OF COST.
MR. HARRIS SAID THAT THE DEMAND NOTES WOULD GIVE THE SAME INFORMATION AS IN THE PAST BUT IT HAD BEEN NECESSARY TO CODE SOME OF THE MORE FREQUENTLY USED ASSESSOR'S NOTES.
IN FUTURE THESE NOTES WOULD BE SHOWN ON THE FRONT OF THE DEMAND NOTE AS A TUO DIGIT CODE BUT FOR EASY REFERENCE A LIST OF THE CODES AND THEIR MEANING IS SHOWN ON THE REVERSE SIDE. HE DID NOT HOWEVER CONSIDER THAT THESE WOULD CAUSE THE TAXPAYER ANY DIFFICULTY.
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