The Inland Revenue Department aims to provide high quality customer-oriented services. Particular emphasis is placed on making relevant information readily available to taxpayers. Various means are used, such as the Internet, electronic enquiry services and an interactive telephone answering system.

IRD Homepage

www.ird.gov.hk

The IRD Homepage is an effective channel for disseminating tax information and providing electronic services to the public. With continuous expansion in the scope and updates on the contents, the Homepage enables the public to access to the most current Hong Kong tax information anytime, anywhere.

Taxpayers can visit the Homepage to:
  • obtain information on tax returns, tax obligations and other hot topics;
  • find answers to frequently asked questions;
  • download IRD software and tax forms;
  • use the interactive programs to calculate their liability under salaries tax and personal assessment; and
  • access to the personalised on-line tax services provided by the Department under eTAX.
The Homepage also provides thematic contents through the Tax Representatives' Corner and e-Seminars for employers, property owners and individual taxpayers.

Besides the Homepage, information on a wide range of topics is also disseminated to the public through GovHK.
Electronic Enquiry Services

The Department continues to provide a wide range of instant electronic enquiry services to eTAX users at <www.gov.hk/etax>.
Telephone and Counter Enquiry Services

The Department's Enquiry Service Centre handles telephone and counter enquiries. The Centre is equipped with a computer network linked to the Department's Knowledge Database and aims to provide, as far as possible, an immediate "one-stop" service.

The Centre makes use of an Interactive Telephone Enquiry System, with 144 telephone lines to provide service. Callers can gain access on a 24-hour basis to a wide range of tax information by listening to recorded messages and obtaining facsimile copies of the information and forms. Callers can choose to speak to operators during office hours. A "Leave-and-call-back" facility, for recording information requests, and a "Fax-in enquiry" service are also available. The Centre also provides an eTAX help desk hotline to support users of eTAX services.

Over 1.24 million telephone calls were answered by the Centre during the year. The number of calls answered by staff was about 0.65 million (Figures 32 and 33).


Figure 32  Number of telephone calls answered



Figure 33  Telephone enquiries

    2008-09
   2009-10
   Increase / Decrease  
  No. of calls answered by staff 669,238   645,697   -3.5%  
  No. of calls answered by system 556,928   598,801   +7.5%  
  No. of leave-and-call-back messages 41,529   28,522   -31.3%  
  No. of fax supplied by the system 6,734   9,103   +35.2%  

Counter staff of the Centre are generally able to handle enquiries, collect mail items and issue forms without the need to refer to other officers in the Department.

Counter enquiries are attended within the shortest possible time. The Centre's electronic queuing system ensures that taxpayers are served in the order of their arrival time. The number of counter enquiries handled during the year was 0.59 million (Figure 34).

Information leaflets on topics of general interest are available at the two form stands located on the ground and first floors of Revenue Tower. The public may also obtain tax information and download forms from the Department's web site<www.ird.gov.hk>.


Figure 34  Counter enquiries


Tax-help Services for Completion of Tax Returns

On the IRD Homepage we provide e-Seminars for tax representatives, employers, property owners and individual taxpayers. Information on how to complete tax returns, fulfill tax obligations and overcome difficulties in compliance are uploaded. After reading the information, taxpayers can raise enquiries electronically at the "Q&A Column". IRD will reply the questions on a regular basis.

IRD issued tax returns to all individual taxpayers on 4 May 2009. To answer taxpayers' enquiries on tax filing, the Department extended service hours of telephone operators from that date for one month, up to 7 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturdays.
Complaints and Compliments

If a taxpayer is dissatisfied with the services provided by the Department or cannot solve his or her problem satisfactorily through normal channels, the Complaints Officer may be approached for assistance. The complaint channel provides taxpayers with the means of having individual grievances dealt with independently at a senior level. This ensures that such cases are properly handled in a fair and unbiased manner. During 2009-10, 323 complaints cases were received (Figure 35). This represents a decrease of 6%, as compared with the previous year.


Figure 35  Complaint cases



If a taxpayer is dissatisfied with any administrative action taken by the Department, the person concerned may refer the matter to the Ombudsman. During the year, the Ombudsman sought written comments from the Department in respect of 13 cases. In the light of these cases, the Department has reviewed relevant operations with a view to improving them.

Taxpayers may compliment the service of Inland Revenue Department. During the year, 158 Letters of Compliments were received.

Performance Pledges

The service standards a taxpayer can expect from IRD are set out in the Performance Pledges. Through the performance pledge programme, a customer-oriented culture has taken a strong hold within the Department.