Compliance focus 2009-10: Commissioner's foreword
Open and transparent about compliance issues
Commissioner's foreword
The New Zealand tax system is based on self assessment. It functions because the majority of New Zealanders pay taxes and claim social support payments appropriately. Most people and businesses comply voluntarily, and are confident in Inland Revenue's ability to take appropriate action against those who do not. We take this responsibility very seriously.
We must address a broad range of compliance issues. We use a balanced approach and increasingly we are using intelligence-led, evidence-based techniques. This ensures we focus on the most significant areas. We use a range of activities from education and assistance to enforcement, and must be able to respond to changing circumstances such as the current economic conditions.
We are pleased to present our programme of work for the coming year which addresses key compliance issues. We want to be open and transparent about compliance matters that concern us. This will enable people and businesses to understand the areas we are targeting, and help them and their advisors manage their tax affairs more effectively, resulting in better overall compliance.
We hope that readers will find this document useful, and welcome any comments or feedback.
Robert Russell
Commissioner of Inland Revenue
Date published: 09 Jun 2009
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