Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Taxing issue

I have been corresponding with the Tax Department - aka Inland Revenue. Today I recieved a letter dated 23 March in response to my letter dated 27 January 2007.

It sets out my tax assessment for the period ending 31 March 2008. It says I have worked for 3 govt agencies during this time. Now I know the gross earnings it states are true. But one of the govt agencies it says I have worked for is not. It says I have worked for the Ministry of Education. It should of course read Ministry of ***** for the period stated.

It then says in the next paragraph "Based on the above, the assessment for 2008, which results in tax to pay of $608.10 , is correct, and becasue of this, we are unable to reassess it".

I'm debating whether to write back and say the assessment is incorrect becasuse I have never worked for the Ministry of Education and make them write again. However, I am wary of agitating the Inland Revenue Assessment Officer who signed my letter is possibly not the best idea.

I probably should just make the arrnagements via the 0800 line re payment options. But there is kind of a principle thing here.

a) Inland Revenue has one of my employers details incorrect
b) I am being taxed on annual leave I accrued - but this does not seem to make any difference.

Never accrue your annual leave - it will cost you.

Any tax lawyers out there? What would you do? Can I get off on the techncaility of the arguement that the assessment has stated is incorrect becasue I have never worked for the Ministry of Education. I know this is what the records state becasue when I rang up when I first got the assessment the 0800 person said I had worked for the Ministry fo Education.

I sort of translate the letter has - we have put your letter through our computer and it does not compute.

Fricken heck $608 is a lot of money to pay the tax man when I have already paid him...

1 comment:

strong light said...

OMG- you have to get them to correct it. Are you sure that your job before this one doesn't fall under MoE? If not, then you should formally wrote to them and tell them they have it wrong. And keep a copy of what you sent them.

There's no prizes for playing nice with IRD. They'll start charging you penalties etc...