WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1977
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TAX REFUND MADE WITHIN A WEEK *****
THE HON. FINANCIAL SECRETARY, MR. PHILIP HADDON-CAVE, TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT IT TOOK LESS THAN A WEEK FOR AN ACTUAL REFUND TO BE EFFECTED.
IN REPLY TO THE HON. S.L. CHEN'S QUESTION ON THE DELAY IN TAX REFUNDS AND STEPS GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE TO REDUCE THIS DELAY, MR. HADDON-CAVE SAID, +GENERALLY SPEAKING THERE IS NO DELAY IN MAKING REFUNDS ONCE THE DEPARTMENT HAS ESTABLISHED THAT REFUNDS ARE DUE.+
+I SAY GENERALLY SPEAKING, BECAUSE A FEW - VERY FEW - CASES OF DELAY DO OCCUR DUE TO HUMAN FRAILTY. AND SUCH CASES ARE INEVITABLE IN ANY LARGE ORGANISATION, THOUGH NEITHER THE COMMISSIONER NOR I WISH TO EXCUSE THEM,+ HE ADDED.
HE POINTED OUT THAT IT WAS THE DUTY OF THE COMMISSIONER AND HIS STAFF TO SEEK EVIDENCE IN SUPPORT OF A CLAIM FOR REFUND AND CHECK THIS EVIDENCE.
+THE TIME TAKEN TO ESTABLISH THAT A REFUND IS IN FACT DUE VARIES WITH THE TYPE OF REFUND INVOLVED AND WITH THE COMPLEXITY OF THE CASE,+ HE SAID.
HE EXPLAINED THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF CLAIMS FOR REFUNDS „AS MADE EVERY YEAR, INVOLVING LARGE SUMS OF MONEY AND NOT ALL THESE CLAIMS FOR REFUNDS COULD BE DEALT WITH AT ONCE.
THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT HAD DEALT WITH SOME 70,000 ACTUAL CASES OF REFUNDS, INVOLVING $171 MILLION IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR.
MR. HADDON-CAVE DISCLOSED THAT THE COMMISSIONER EXPECTED TO DEAL WITH MORE THAN 90,000 CASES INVOLVING PAYMENTS OF OVER $200 MILLION THIS YEAR. THANKS TO THE INCREASE IN THE PERSONAL ALLOWANCES INTRODUCED FOR 1976-77 FINAL ASSESSMENT AND 1977-78 PROVISIONAL ASSESSMENT AS SET OUT IN HIS LAST BUDGET SPEECH.
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