Thank you to everyone who took part in the July-September 2025 Tax Agents Voice of the Customer (TAVOC) survey. Your feedback helps us understand what’s working well, where we can improve and the impact of the changes we make.
Here are the key insights from this quarter.
Satisfaction, ease and trust remain high
- 92% of tax agents are satisfied with their overall experience with Inland Revenue
- 94% of tax agents found it easy to get what they needed from Inland Revenue
- 87% of tax agents expressed trust in Inland Revenue.
Tax agents who reported being ‘very satisfied’ are much more likely to note ‘responsiveness’ and ‘quality of replies’ as reasons for their satisfaction. This shows how important these 2 aspects are in your overall experience with us.
Dip in responsiveness and following redirect instructions
Tax agent satisfaction with our responsiveness to queries dropped from 76% to 71% this quarter. We answered most messages in the 15-working day timeframe, but some of our responses took longer than you experienced in the previous 6 months. We know timely responses matter to you, and we’re committed to providing a consistent level of service.
Your satisfaction with how we follow redirect instructions fell from 82% to 76%. This dip likely reflects our recent change to how we manage overdue debt. If a client has overdue debt, has received standard reminders and repayment options, and has not engaged with us, we now contact them directly, even if they have a tax agent. We will continue with this approach as part of our focus on collecting overdue debt, particularly GST and Employer (EMP) debt.
You can learn more about this approach on our website.
Compliance perspectives show a gradual shift
We’ve increased compliance and audit activity over the past year and want to ensure an effective, fair and transparent compliance experience for everyone.
- 85% of tax agents agree that Inland Revenue supports those trying to do the right thing
- 79% of tax agents agree that tax avoiders face consequences.
Your agreement with the statements above has gradually declined over the past 6 months, with a rise in neutral ratings. This gradual shift highlights how important it is for us to keep reinforcing fairness and transparency in our enforcement approach.
Opportunity to increase understanding of D status
This quarter, the survey included a few questions about deferred status (D status). One-third of tax agents reported knowing nothing about D status. This is an opportunity for us to provide more education on what D status means and how it works.
We’ll share an update soon. In the meantime, you can find out more on our website.
Thank you for your feedback
Thank you again for sharing your views. Your insights help us to improve and deliver a better service.
Previous survey result articles
Tax agents survey results - 2024/25 financial year
Tax agents survey results (Jan-Mar 2025)
Tax agents survey results (Oct-Dec 2024)