Tax Returns Coming In Earlier This Year

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30741, 4 May 1965, Page 14

Tax Returns Coming In Earlier This Year

Taxation returns were coming in much sooner this year than in previous years, said the District Commissioner of Taxes (Mr T. M. Hunt) yesterday. The due date for tax returns is June 7.

The new, simplified IRS forms were meeting with considerable success, and persons were finding it much easier to fill in their returns, Mr Hunt said. The process was assisted by the many pamphlets put out by the Inland Revenue Department and available at post offices, talks that had been given by departmental officers to employees of many city firms, and the advisory service available at certain post offices on some days. Last Wednesday between noon and 2 p.m departmental officers were at 12 city post offices to give help and advice on tax problems. The service was popular, and many used it. At one post office the officer on duty dealt with inquiries from 50 persons in the two hours.

This service would be repeated tomorrow at the Addington, Ferry road, High street, New Brighton, Papanui, Riccarton, Sockburn, Sumner, Sydenham, Upper Riccarton, Walker street, and Woolston post offices, Mr Hunt said. Extension to Country Later a similar service would, be available to country residents. Officers would be present at post offices in such places as Kaikoura, Rangiora, Akaroa, and Lyttelton for one<day or two-day periods. Mr Hunt said experience had shown such a service was well worth while. This year only persons earning more than £l3OO a year, or with incomes other than that from wages and salaries, had to furnish a return of income. However, Mr Hunt said, persons who thought they were entitled to refunds, for instance for life insurance policies or for donations, should furnish a return.

A new tax form in use this year is the IR SW, which is for the use of those wage or salary earners who have no income or exemptions other than those shown on the returns furnished by their employers. This form, like the new IRS, is in line with the policy of making the furnishiiig of returns simpler for the public. Pamphlets Popular

Mr Hunt said that any person with any taxation problems was welcome to get in touch with the department for advice, or he could go to his local post office and obtain one of the many advisory pamphlets available. Most of these pamphlets had recently been brought up to date, and they answered nearly all questions and were proving very popular.

Persons were asked to return the tax certificates from employers showing a record of their earnings when furnishing their returns of income. If these certificates were not returned, there were delays in the processing of returns.