MONDAY, AUGUST 11, 1980
NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM TO EASE TAX WORKLOAD
****
THE TAXMEN'S HEAVY WORKLOAD WILL BE GREATLY EASED WHEN THE INLAND REVENUE DEPARTMENT'S $14.8 MILLION INTEGRATED DATA BASE SYSTEM BECOMES FULLY OPERATIONAL IN APRIL NEXT YEAR.
A SPOKESMAN -FOR THE DEPARTMENT SAID INTRODUCTION OF THE SYSTEM WAS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TAX-PAYERS.
HE POINTED OUT THAT THIS YEAR NEARLY 450 000 SALARIES TAX RETURNS AND 100 000 BUSINESS RETURNS WERE ISSUED, WHEREAS 20 YEARS AGO, ONLY LESS THAN 20 000 SALARIES TAX ASSESSMENTS WERE RAISED AND LESS THAN 17 000 BUSINESSES WERE CHARGEABLE TO TAX.
IT WAS ALSO ESTIMATED THAT BY THE TIME THE NEW COMPUTER SYSTEM CAME INTO FULL OPERATION, IT WOULD HAVE TO DEAL WITH EVEN MORE PAPERS - 260 000 BUSINESS REGISTRATIONS, 1.29 MILLION PERSONAL RECORDS AND 550 000 PROPERTIES RECORDS.
MANAGEMENT REPORTS ON REVENUE COLLECTION WOULD ALSO BE COMPUTER ISED. IN ADDITION TO THE DESPATCH AND CONTROL OF TAX RETURNS, BUSINESS REGISTRATION CERTIFICATES AND DEMAND NOTES.
+ THE SYSTEM WILL STREAMLINE ROUTINE WORK, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, +SO THAT OUR STAFF WILL BE BETTER ABLE TO CONCENTRATE ON MORE IMPORTANT MATTERS.
+BY REDUCING PAPER HANDLING AND EXCESSIVE MANUAL INVOLVEMENT, THE TIME TAKEN TO ANSWER ENQUIRIES WOULD BE REDUCED AND A BETTER SERVICE TO THE PUBLIC IS EXPECTED.
+ THE SYSTEM WILL ALSO HELP TO YIELD COMPREHENSIVE STATISTICS FOR MANAGEMENT PURPOSES WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT,+ HE ADDED.
HE RECALLED THAT INITIAL PLANNING FOR THE DATA BASE SYSTEM BEGAN IN 1976.
COMPUTER ISATION OF BUSINESS REGISTRATION RECORDS WAS COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 1978 AND HAVE BEEN TRANSFERRED TO THE NEW COMPUTER WHICH WILL BE OPERATIONAL NEXT MONTH.
+ALL DEVELOPMENT AND PREPARATION WORK WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR AND COMPUTER ISATION OF PROFITS TAX, EMPLOYERS' RETURNS, AND SALARIES TAX AND PERSONAL ASSESSMENT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED ON APRIL 1, 1981, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.
IN ADDITION, ON-LINE ENQUIRY FACILITIES WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
12