It's probably as well that the forums are not yet back up because I notice that whenever I write something about the IRD (usually critical), the following discussion is decidedly muted.
Clearly, the mention of the IRD has a chilling effect on people's willingness to voice their opinions. Best to stay quiet and fly under their radar perhaps -- just in case you unwittingly underpaid your tax by a dollar or two a few years back and may now face bankruptcy due to silently compounded penalties and interest? No point in popping your head up and becoming a potential target of their attentions is there?
Well as regular readers know, I'm no friend of the IRD and they're hardly a friend of mine but that's no reason to shy away from highlighting their failures and incompetence when it becomes appropriate to do so.
So, it was with great interest I read this story in which it's disclosed that $21m of NZ taxpayers' money has effectively been flushed down the toilet by bad IT management.
I certainly hope that the IRD's own beancounters remember that uncompleted software projects no longer qualify for depreciation
Of course, when you're picking the public's pockets it doesn't really matter whether you blow a few tens of millions from time to time -- there's always more where that came from.
However, after reading this story one can't help but wonder whether the IRD is really in need of another overhaul.
Of course not... why would anyone suggest that the IRD be streamlined, improved or required to perform at the same level as those over who it has the power to fine, penalise, persecute and punish?
And, if you think the days of unreasonable persecution by the taxman are a thing of the past then you really ought to keep up with the facts and pay attention to stories like this.
Now don't get me wrong -- the IRD is a crucial organ of government.
Without tax revenues we can't afford to deliver health, welfare, education, policing, defense, justice or any of the other critical pieces of infrastructure and public service that our society relies on.
However, I think the days when the IRD was allowed to exercise unchallenged power over taxpayers and when it was not required to perform at the same level as it expects of those from whom it collects tax must surely be over.
However, I expect we'll see them handing out warm blankets and hot Milo in hell before that happens.
And yes... the Sci-Tech headlines links are updated again today with some great stories!
Clearly, the mention of the IRD has a chilling effect on people's willingness to voice their opinions. Best to stay quiet and fly under their radar perhaps -- just in case you unwittingly underpaid your tax by a dollar or two a few years back and may now face bankruptcy due to silently compounded penalties and interest? No point in popping your head up and becoming a potential target of their attentions is there?
Well as regular readers know, I'm no friend of the IRD and they're hardly a friend of mine but that's no reason to shy away from highlighting their failures and incompetence when it becomes appropriate to do so.
So, it was with great interest I read this story in which it's disclosed that $21m of NZ taxpayers' money has effectively been flushed down the toilet by bad IT management.
I certainly hope that the IRD's own beancounters remember that uncompleted software projects no longer qualify for depreciation
Of course, when you're picking the public's pockets it doesn't really matter whether you blow a few tens of millions from time to time -- there's always more where that came from.
However, after reading this story one can't help but wonder whether the IRD is really in need of another overhaul.
Of course not... why would anyone suggest that the IRD be streamlined, improved or required to perform at the same level as those over who it has the power to fine, penalise, persecute and punish?
And, if you think the days of unreasonable persecution by the taxman are a thing of the past then you really ought to keep up with the facts and pay attention to stories like this.
Now don't get me wrong -- the IRD is a crucial organ of government.
Without tax revenues we can't afford to deliver health, welfare, education, policing, defense, justice or any of the other critical pieces of infrastructure and public service that our society relies on.
However, I think the days when the IRD was allowed to exercise unchallenged power over taxpayers and when it was not required to perform at the same level as it expects of those from whom it collects tax must surely be over.
However, I expect we'll see them handing out warm blankets and hot Milo in hell before that happens.
And yes... the Sci-Tech headlines links are updated again today with some great stories!
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