Taxpayer’s Simplification Panel up and running

Revenue Minister Todd McClay has welcomed the announcement today of the remaining members of the Taxpayer’s Simplification Panel.

The Taxpayer’s Simplification Panel membership is:
Henri Eliot (Chair), Chief Executive of Board Dynamics
Scott Mason, Managing Principal of Tax Advisory at Crowe Horwath
Kerry Dalton, Chief Executive of the Citizens Advice Bureau
Brian Steele, Executive Director of Shoreline Partners
Darren Stuart, Head of Customer Support at Trade Me
Courtney Johnston, Director of Hutt City Museums and member of the Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand Advisory Panel and MBIE’s Tourism Growth Partnership Fund Independent Panel of Experts.

“It is pleasing to see the inclusion of such high calibre people, all bringing different skills and backgrounds to the table, which will hold the Panel in good stead as it considers the full range of suggestions submitted by taxpayers,” Mr McClay says.

The Panel’s first meeting is scheduled for 22 August. Their initial task will be to consider the 1,500 responses Inland Revenue received for its recent Save Time campaign run in the Hawke’s Bay.

“Working through the results of the Hawke’s Bay campaign is merely the beginning. I am keen for the Panel to engage with as many small-to-medium business owners and individual taxpayers as possible over the next couple of years.”

“The Taxpayer’s Simplification Panel is designed to provide a forum through which Inland Revenue can ensure that what it is doing is consistent with the objective of making tax compliance faster and easier for New Zealanders.”

“I encourage business owners and individual taxpayers to submit their opinions on how Inland Revenue can reduce the amount of time they are forced to spend paying tax. The more feedback the Panel receives, the better.”

“Suggestions received by the Panel will also assist us in considering certain aspects of Inland Revenue’s Business Transformation programme and making sure that the new processes are as taxpayer-friendly as possible,” Mr McClay says.

People can submit their queries, ideas and concerns to the Panel by emailing simpletax@ird.govt.nz.

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