Introduction by Commissioner Robert Russell

We can all list what our taxes pay for - roads, schools, hospitals and so on. But, as the devastating effects of the Christchurch earthquake have reminded us, they pay for much more.

The 22 February 2011 earthquake reminds us of the importance of our role as taxpayers in helping Christchurch and its people get back on their feet. By paying our taxes, in full and on time, we play a simple but vital part in providing the financial support Christchurch needs to rebuild its city, enabling individuals, families and businesses to contribute to the New Zealand economy once again.

Most people meet their obligations but we know there will always be a degree of non-compliance in some areas. Our compliance work targets those areas, whether it is inadvertent non-compliance, or people who consciously choose to cheat the system. We want a tax system that is fair for all of us, and one that gathers the revenue needed to sustain our communities.

We use a variety of tools in our work, including complex data-matching, analysis, research and evaluation to inform our decisions. We are improving our systems to make it easier for customers to interact with us, and we are continuing to seek out new approaches to improve compliance and address non-compliance, often by working in close collaboration with the revenue authorities of other countries.

We also understand some customers face challenges that make it hard for them to comply. This is certainly the case currently in Christchurch. We will continue to support customers who are experiencing hardship, by offering help and assistance where we can. We will take a realistic and flexible approach, and we encourage anyone having difficulty meeting their tax obligations to contact us.

Introduction to the compliance focus for 2011-12: view video or read the video transcript