If you have a myIR account, you can send us messages. This is generally how we'll communicate with you.
Occasionally, we may need to communicate outside of myIR by sending you an email. All emails and attachments we send are labelled IN-CONFIDENCE\CUSTOMER and are encrypted by Microsoft 365. You can only communicate through encrypted emails by responding to an email we have sent you.
The table below explains how this will work. It depends which email service you use.
| Email service | Authentication experience | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 (Exchange Online), Outlook.com, Hotmail or Live.com | Seamless decryption | If you use Microsoft 365, you should be able to open emails and attachments. This is because a Microsoft account communicating to another Microsoft account will automatically open encrypted emails. |
| Gmail (Google Workspace) | Federated sign-in | If you use Gmail, reauthenticate your Google account by confirming your username and password, then open your encrypted email. |
| Others (Xtra mail, Yahoo, iCloud or ISP mail) | One-time passcode may be required | If your email provider is not Microsoft or Google, you may be able to log into your user account to authenticate yourself. |
If you cannot open an encrypted email from us
If your email does not open automatically, you'll get an email advising that Inland Revenue has sent you a message protected by Microsoft 365. Follow the link in the email to authenticate yourself and read the message.
To keep your information safe, you need to authenticate yourself each time you want to open the email, using either:
- your email account - follow the log-in instructions on screen
- a one-time passcode - you will receive this in an email.
If you do not see the email with the one-time passcode in your inbox, it may be in your spam or junk folder. Look in this folder before you request another passcode. You'll need to enter the passcode in the web page within 15 minutes. Then select 'Continue'.
You can choose to authenticate for up to 12 hours. This is useful if you need to open the email again later in the day.
Shared email accounts
If you use a shared email account and receive an email from us that is not for you, please close it immediately and let the right person know it's there.
Attachments
To view an attachment we've sent you, you do not need a Microsoft 365 subscription.
However, to edit an attachment we've sent you, you'll need to:
- have a Microsoft 365 subscription
- have the correct application on your device, for example Word or Excel from 2010 or later
- download the file to your device before opening it.
Forwarding an encrypted email from us
If your email does not decrypt automatically, you must open it and authenticate your identity before you can forward it. The person you send it to (such as your tax agent) will also need to authenticate their identity to view the email.
Troubleshooting
To help with any issues, make sure that you have:
- allowed pop-ups in your browser
- a PDF viewer installed if you want to access PDF attachments.
Explanation of encryption terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Authenticate | To authenticate means to prove who you are when accessing something online. You can authenticate automatically if the system you use is the same as the system the sender uses. If not, you can authenticate with a passcode or by logging in with a trusted account. |
| Email account | This is your identity for sending and receiving emails. Your account includes your email address, e.g. [email protected] and login credentials (username and password). An email account gives you access to 1 or more mailboxes. You can use your account to access email services via webmail, apps, or email clients like Outlook or Gmail. |
| Email mailbox | This is the storage location where your emails are. Your mailbox includes folders like Inbox, Sent, Drafts and Trash. A mailbox is tied to an email account. In some enterprise or shared systems, more than 1 mailbox can be tied to an account, or more than 1 account tied to a mailbox. |
| Federated sign-in | This means you can log in to a system using an account from another trusted system. |
| In-transit encryption | Transport Layer Security encrypts emails while they travel between servers. |
| At-rest encryption | Provides additional layers of protection. |