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IRD initiatives facilitate tax filing

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has launched a series of new initiatives to assist taxpayers in completing their tax returns and to answer any enquiries arising from tax related matters.

These include setting up floating enquiry centres at 13 different locations throughout the territories on May 25 and 26.

Disclosing the service package at a press conference today (Monday), the newly appointed Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Mr Wong Ho-sang, hoped that the initiatives would be able to alleviate the workload of IRD enquiry staff who had been overwhelmed by callers with questions on filling in tax returns in the past years, and satisfy the needs of the general public.

Last year, IRD had received a total of 534,000 telephone enquiries and 93,000 personal enquiries in the two months after the forms were issued.

This year, the department estimated that about 30% of the 1.8 million taxpayers who have to file their tax returns would need to seek further information and briefing on how to fill in the tax return.

The floating enquiry centres will be set up in 10 community centres throughout the territories on May 25 and 26, from 2 pm to 5 pm, while the three IRD enquiry centres will remain open at the same time for the public.

An IRD hotline 2594 5479 has been installed to give details on the service.

Furthermore, IRD has organised seminars for over 5,500 personnel and accounting staff members from private companies so as to enable them to handle enquiries on tax returns when approached by their own colleagues.

The department has also organised briefing sessions for staff manning the enquiry service counters at district offices and for the assistants to the councillors of the 3-tier councils.