TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1980
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HELP FOR AGGRIEVED TAXPAYERS
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A SPOKESMAN FOR THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT TODAY REMINDED TAXPAYERS THAT IF THEY ARE NOT SATISFIED WITH THE SERVICES GIVEN THEM BY THE DEPARTMENT, ITS COMPLAINTS OFFICER IS THERE TO HELP THEM.
ITS SPECIAL COMPLAINTS SECTION, HEADED BY A COMPLAINTS OFFICER, RECEIVED OVER 1 600 TAX COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES IN THE LAST FINANCIAL YEAR. ABOUT 95 PER CENT OF THE COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES WERE RECEIVED OVER THE TELEPHONE, WHILE THE REMAINING 5 PER CENT COMPRISED LETTERS AND PERSONAL INTERVIEWS.
OF THE TOTAL NUMBER, ALMOST HALF, OR 49 PER CENT, WERE RELATED TO SALARIES TAX, OTHER COMPLAINTS AND ENQUIRIES AROSE FROM PERSONAL TAX ASSESSMENT, PROPERTY TAX, TAX COLLECTION, AND PROF ITS TAX. REPORTS ON SUSPECTED TAX EVASION WERE ALSÓ RECEIVED WHICH WERE REFERRED TO OTHER SECTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT FOR INVESTIGATION.
THE COMPLAINTS OFFICER, MR FUNG YUN-CHI, CAN BE CONTACTED ON THE 26TH FLOOR OF WINDSOR HOUSE, CAUSEWAY BAY, HONG KONG, OR BY TELEPHONE (5-79595656) OR BY WRITING TO GPO BOX 11234, HÓNG KONG.
MR FUNG HANDLES ALL COMPLAINTS EXCEPT THOSE CONCERNING THE CORRECTNESS OF AN ASSESSMENT, OR THE TAX LAW ITSELF.
+THERE ARE ALREADY ADEQUATE SAFEGUARDS, BOTH LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE, TO ENSURE THAT OBJECTIONS AGAINST ASSESSMENTS ARE PROPERLY PROCESSED, UNTIL EITHER THE OBJECTION IS WITHDRAWN OR A FORMAL DECISION IS ISSUED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF INLAND REVENUE, THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT.
TAXPAYERS ARE URGED TO APPROACH THE COMPLAINTS OFFICER DIRECT IF THEIR INITIAL ENQUIRIES WITH THE OFFICERS HANDLING THEIR CASES HAVE NOT RESOLVED THE IR PROBLEMS.
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