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Statement of Intent - 2004 - Part 1

Strengthening our customer focus - pages 24-26

Improving compliance through industry partnership

Industry Partnership is a long-term initiative to improve compliance in small and medium-sized industries that operate within the cash economy. Working with industry groups to develop and strengthen relationships, Inland Revenue is identifying common problems and reasons for non-compliance within an industry.

Strongly aligned to the compliance model, Industry Partnership uses relationships at both the national and local level with industry associations, and with individual small businesses, to encourage compliance among those who are willing to comply.

Although this is effective for some customers, it is unlikely to be effective for those who choose not to comply. To address this group our emphasis is on using our resources to influence them by, for example, taking prosecutions in key areas and by targeted enforcement action through our investigation teams. Over time this combined approach is expected to deliver improved compliance.

Industry Partnership has established relationships with 10 industries working within a variety of sectors. A further five relationships are planned at this stage and these are under development. These relationships are supported by targeted communication and education programmes, including proactive initiatives in the community.

Industry Partnership is also developing and implementing an enforcement model that addresses high risk cash economy activities. The activities already in place, and those under development, target taxpayers who are deliberately not complying, while maintaining a strong presence in the community to deter further non-compliance.

Individuals and student loan borrowers

Our current focus includes delivery of:

  • services to the community generally
  • initiatives that cover a number of government agencies
  • services to student loan borrowers.

Working in the community

Our Charter forms an essential part of defining our desired relationship with the community generally. It outlines the standards of service that taxpayers and social support programme clients can expect when interacting with Inland Revenue and provides an impartial complaints management service.

New Zealand's population is changing and becoming more diverse. Although we can deliver many of our services on a generic basis, we also recognise that communities may have specific needs that we have to address so that we improve compliance levels across all communities.

How we want to achieve this improvement is set out in our desired future where we want to be visible in the community delivering appropriate services. Two specific examples of how we want to work with different groups within the community can be seen through our response to the effects of the flooding across central New Zealand in February 2004 and our face-to-face interaction with various communities.

The widespread effect of the flooding meant that many people were unable to meet their tax obligations. To mitigate the effects of this situation, we needed to be flexible in our administration of the tax laws, proactive in advising on legislative changes required to support this flexibility, and coordinated with other agencies working in this area.

Face-to-face interaction with various communities is an important way to interact with those people whose needs are not adequately met by our generic services. We currently have liaison officers working with businesses, tax professionals, Maori, Pacific peoples and Asian communities. Others provide proactive advice on our child support and other social support programme activities. These officers provide a direct and visible way of helping taxpayers and social support programme clients meet obligations and receive their entitlements. For example:

  • Child Support builds partnerships with the community through the Community Liaison Officer role. These officers provide education about child support and how it works to groups within the community, such as Citizens Advice Bureaux, budget advisory services, and other agencies that have relationships with Child Support's customers. The provision of such information assists customers to meet their child support obligations and helps raise public awareness of parental responsibilities with regard to child support.

The roles of advisory officers continue to evolve to meet changing needs and expectations. For example:

  • Assisting businesses and tax agents to comply-we offer a range of advisory services for businesses and tax agents. Our Business Tax Information Officers provide taxation advice to businesses, promote our products and services, deliver seminars and help businesses to seek specialist advice.

    Our Agent Account Managers work closely with tax agents to improve voluntary compliance. Agent Account Managers provide education and support for relevant products and services, inform about obligations under new legislation, and help to resolve taxation issues. In the last two years we have also enhanced our Agent Account Manager function so they can better assist tax agents to improve the timely payment of the correct amount of taxation.

    We receive both positive anecdotal and survey feedback about these services. For example, since December 2002, the customer satisfaction rating with our Agent Account Manager service has ranged between 91% and 97%.

    Both Business Tax Information Officers and Agent Account Managers are working closely with customers to increase the uptake of our electronic services.

  • Our Maori Community Officer service was established in 1989. They operate in the community and assist Maori to meet their tax obligations and receive their social support programme entitlements. However, our primary delivery of services to Maori, like all groups of taxpayers, is through answering telephone enquiries and correspondence.

    As more Maori are being educated in Maori-medium schools there is likely to be an increase in fluency in te Reo Maori* and therefore more people able, and wanting to interact in te Reo Maori in their dealings with government departments. We need to develop our capability to interact in te Reo Maori and also to design and deliver services that are appropriate to meet Maori needs. We are implementing our Maori language strategy through a targeted approach by developing our people, based on their need to interact with Maori in te Reo Maori. We are also ensuring that our Maori Community Officers are able to support the Maori community with the application of the new Maori authorities legislation, enacted in 2003.

    As part of our human resources strategy we are assessing our current capabilities and ensuring that they are linked into our ongoing planning cycles to determine future capability. This work will assist with our focus on the community in general and our service delivery adaptability.

* The current statistics for te Reo Maori usage is that 25% (130,000 people) of the Maori population speak Maori - Te Puni Kookiri, 2003. Te Rautaki Reo Maori The Maori Language Strategy, p 15.

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Other pages in: Statement of Intent - 2004 - Part 1
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Date published: 16 Nov 2004

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