THE Government has outlined plans to simplify tax collection in a bid to reduce costs for small business.
Measures to be introduced include:
a centralised telephone system in Dublin to give general information and assistance to personal taxpayers;
a direct debit system and better use of technology for speedier tax payment and repayment systems;
guidelines on employers' payment of motoring and subsistence expenses to be simplified;
a paperless declaration system for traders under the Customs Automated Entry Processing system;
a new code of practice for Revenue auditors;
a taxpayers' guide to Revenue audit and;
a review of tax forms including design.
The introduction of the measures follows repeated complaints from the small firms' sector about the costs of compliance with the tax system. Small firms have said they are acting as unpaid tax collectors for the Revenue Commissioners and are forced to comply with costly form-filling rules.