PRESS RELEASE

IRD rolls out new online tax services

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The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) today (January 19) rolled out eTAX, the new gateway to the department's electronic services under the GovHK portal, offering taxpayers easy, secure and environment-friendly means to comply with the tax law.

"By a single login to their eTAX Account, using their Taxpayer Identification Number and eTAX Password, or digital certificate, taxpayers can keep track of their tax position, manage tax affairs and communicate with IRD anytime anywhere," a spokesman for the department said.

Through the eTAX Account, taxpayers can view their account profile, check the status of tax return, assessment and payment as well as notify changes in personal and business particulars. They can also enjoy other online services for stamping of property document, business registration and payment.

Taxpayers may choose to receive notices and documents related to tax return filing, assessment and tax payment (including tax return and notice of assessment) in the form of electronic records instead of paper. This will enable them to manage their tax records in an environment-friendly manner.

eTAX will be extended by phases later in the year to cover the following services:

- Filing Tax Return and obtaining instant estimation of Salaries Tax payable;

- Viewing tax assessment and requesting amendment;

- Applying for holdover of provisional tax;

- e-Alert messages on return filing and tax payment when the time limits for discharging these obligations are approaching;

- Viewing e-receipt for tax payment.

To gain access to the new services, a taxpayer has to open an eTAX Account by logging in eTAX at www.gov.hk/etax with his Taxpayer Identification Number and Password that he has registered with IRD, or by using his digital certificate issued by a recognised certification authority.

If a taxpayer does not have a password or has forgotten it, he can apply for a new one online under eTAX. Taxpayers can choose their own TIN and Password when they open their eTAX Account.

The spokesman said that eTAX was operated on a highly secured platform employing strict security standards and procedures to prevent unauthorised access and protect data privacy.

"As our online tax services will be provided through the Internet under eTAX, services under the TeleTax System will be discontinued from today," the spokesman said.

Further details on eTAX are available on the website www.gov.hk/etax.

Ends/Saturday, January 19, 2008
Issued at HKT 19:08

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