The Inland Revenue Department must be held to account after further revelations regarding their wonky and shonky “tax calculator” have come to light. Not only did the “tax calculator” not work properly, but officials have been aware of its serious flaws since September last year.

Taxpayers’ Union spokesman Jordan Williams said:

“For nine long months of neglect, the IRD knew their so-called calculator was not accurate. They were finally forced to reveal the stuff up just days before a major tax deadline. The IRD then focused on how caring they would be to taxpayers who were delayed submitting their reports, but they did not mention what would happen to the thousands who had already paid too much tax just by doing the right thing.”

“We should be able to trust the IRD on tax issues, it is their only job. Yet they knowingly let a flawed on-line tool compel law-abiding people who were filing their returns to pay more tax than they owed. We are confident the much-vaunted but fatally flawed app never concluded that users should pay less tax than due.”

“Heads must roll at the IRD, starting with those who signed off on the calculator, then those that sat on the flaw for months, then the spin doctors who tried to give the impression it only affected taxpayers filing last minute returns. This debacle has affected thousands of New Zealand and foreign taxpayers and IRD needs to make it right. The Union reiterates its call that IRD pay their standard penalty interest rates to taxpayers impacted by its error.”

“Revenue Minister Stuart Nash should be calling the Commissioner into his office and demanding that heads must roll.”

The Minister might also need to check his own tax returns if he used the calculator.

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