ICAI Gives Qualified Welcome To Revenue Tax Relief Drive

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

30 August 2006

The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) on Monday noted the Revenue Commission’s stated intention to encourage taxpayers to claim all the reliefs to which they are entitled.

The Institute observed that:

"While any campaign like this which draws taxpayers attention to the range of reliefs on offer is helpful, it is the case that many taxpayers may not be getting their entitlements because of the difficulties they experience in dealing with Revenue."

It went on to add:

"This year many Revenue offices were uncontactable by phone for weeks at a time. Certificates of tax credits were issued late, and taxpayers could not get a response from Revenue offices when they tried to call. It is not unusual for Revenue correspondence to be unanswered for many months, and there can be considerable delays in what should be routine procedures, like getting a tax registration."

"Revenue need to improve their customer service standards and ethos if compliant taxpayers are to get a fair deal."

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