Update tax records - Ministry of Finance STAFF REPORTERAlthough some people thought it was a scam, the Ministry of Finance is in fact sending SMSes to taxpayers to update their particulars, as the ministry moves to a new integrated tax administration system.
Taxpayers are asked to update their particulars via text message to ensure that the information the Directorate of Inland Revenue has is up to date.
The ministry’s permanent secretary, Ericah Shafudah, explained that the need to update records was necessitated by the migration to a new tax administration system.
“In preparation for migration of data from the old system to the new system, the Inland Revenue Directorate has started with the process of updating and verifying taxpayers’ records. This is necessary due to the fact that some taxpayers'' records are either incomplete or out-dated.”
According to Shafudah, the new system is expected to strengthen communication between taxpayers and the ministry.
Dispelling any worries, she added: “Concerns have been raised that some of the information being requested has been submitted with tax returns already, however, the objective of this exercise is not only to capture missing information but also to verify or correct what is already collected.
“The short message text being sent by the Inland Revenue Directorate is legitimate and taxpayers must provide the requested information without delay.
“In order to expedite the process, taxpayers are advised to provide the requested information without delay by directly replying to the message. Alternatively, the information may be submitted to the nearest Inland Revenue Directorate.”
Shafudah encouraged taxpayers to make use of this opportunity to update, verify and or rectify their information to avoid inconveniences after moving over to a new electronic system.