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Making business tax easier
Hon Peter Dunne
Minister of
Revenue
Wednesday, 15 December 2010 Media Statement
Making business tax easier
Revenue Minister Peter Dunne says initiatives starting next year will cut business compliance costs and make it easier for New Zealanders to manage tax.
“Businesses can see tax as a complicated process involving a lot of paperwork,” said Mr Dunne.
“Inland Revenue is working now with software developers and other agencies to make tax easier and cut compliance costs. The business transformation programme is cutting back paper forms and will let businesses manage most taxes through their normal business or payroll software. It will solve a lot of issues that are frustrating businesses now.”
Starting from April next year Inland Revenue will be providing secure access, via third party software, to key account information. This will allow tax agents to view their clients’ tax data from within their practice management solutions. Over time Inland Revenue will expand the information available.
“This new service will be a first step towards a full B2B system in future. It’s one example of Inland Revenue working with the private sector to reduce compliance costs for business.”
Mr Dunne says Inland Revenue is continuing to improve other e-services, with new online services for family and individual customers this year (see http://www.ird.govt.nz/help/demo/workspace/) as well as email and text alerts and GST online filing due in 2011.
“Beyond 2011, new services will remove the need for businesses and accountants to access their tax information through separate channels. They’ll be able to see onscreen immediately that the GST return’s been filed or the refund credited, making life easier.”
Mr Dunne says a tax bill introduced last month will also help reduce the compliance burden by providing a new framework for cross-agency information-sharing.
“If Inland Revenue can share basic information with other departments it means people don’t have to keep supplying the same details over and over.”
That bill is currently with the select committee – they’re expected to hear submissions early next year and report back in June,” said Mr Dunne.
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