Cost Of Living Payments – Administration Procedure
Allen Reynolds made this Official Information request to Inland Revenue Department
The request was partially successful.
From: Allen Reynolds
The Commissioner
Inland Revenue Department
Question: Does the ‘Special Report: Taxation (Cost Of Living Payments) Act 2022’ fully and completely describe the exact procedure IRD follows to administer the Cost Of Living Payments scheme? Are there any undocumented ‘extra steps’ staff are performing, or actions detailed that staff are not performing?
Link to the Special Report – https://www.taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz/public... (pdf or docx formats)
Because… my experience is different…
I did not receive the August 01 COLP; I did not receive an email explaining why.
I probably FAILED one or more criteria.
On August 31 I got an IRD email – ‘According to our records you qualify…’, for Sep 01.
A ‘stage-1 check’ must have PASSED me, and on ALL the criteria.
On September 01 I got an IRD email – ‘We’ve held off paying you … appears you may not be eligible…’
A follow-up, ‘stage-2 check’ must have FAILED me on one or more criteria.
But… the Special Report does not mention TWO STAGES OF CHECKING…
So… it seems the IRD is administering the COLP scheme differently from the Special Report.
Even more strangely, today, ‘MyIR’ reports I am BOTH eligible, and not!
When I log on, the ‘Summary – COLP’ says ‘Account Will be paid on 05-Sep-2022’.
But when I click: ‘I want to…’ > ‘COLP eligibility’ it says I’m not, and why.
Confused?
To be clear: I am not enquiring about my personal case.
I am asking if the ‘Official Procedure’ is being followed, and whether the ‘Special Report’ is that Procedure.
Questions, such as ‘why not?’, and ‘when will we be told the Real Procedure?’ may follow…
thanks
Allen
From: oia
Inland Revenue Department
[IN CONFIDENCE RELEASE EXTERNAL]
Dear Allen
Thank you for your request.
If you have made an Official Information Request, we will respond within
the 20-day statutory timeframe. You can expect to receive a response no
later than 30 September 2022.
Your reference number is 23OIA1298.
Kind regards
Governance and Ministerial Services | Inland Revenue - Te Tari Taake
-----Original Message-----
From: Allen Reynolds <[FOI #20462 email]>
Sent: Sunday, 4 September 2022 7:20 PM
To: oia <[IRD request email]>
Subject: 23OIA1298 Reynolds
External Email CAUTION: Please take CARE when opening any links or
attachments.
The Commissioner
Inland Revenue Department
Question: Does the ‘Special Report: Taxation (Cost Of Living Payments)
Act 2022’ fully and completely describe the exact procedure IRD follows to
administer the Cost Of Living Payments scheme? Are there any undocumented
‘extra steps’ staff are performing, or actions detailed that staff are not
performing?
Link to the Special Report –
[1]https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlo...
(pdf or docx formats)
Because… my experience is different…
I did not receive the August 01 COLP; I did not receive an email
explaining why.
I probably FAILED one or more criteria.
On August 31 I got an IRD email – ‘According to our records you qualify…’,
for Sep 01.
A ‘stage-1 check’ must have PASSED me, and on ALL the criteria.
On September 01 I got an IRD email – ‘We’ve held off paying you … appears
you may not be eligible…’
A follow-up, ‘stage-2 check’ must have FAILED me on one or more criteria.
But… the Special Report does not mention TWO STAGES OF CHECKING…
So… it seems the IRD is administering the COLP scheme differently from
the Special Report.
Even more strangely, today, ‘MyIR’ reports I am BOTH eligible, and not!
When I log on, the ‘Summary – COLP’ says ‘Account Will be paid on
05-Sep-2022’.
But when I click: ‘I want to…’ > ‘COLP eligibility’ it says I’m not, and
why.
Confused?
To be clear: I am not enquiring about my personal case.
I am asking if the ‘Official Procedure’ is being followed, and whether the
‘Special Report’ is that Procedure.
Questions, such as ‘why not?’, and ‘when will we be told the Real
Procedure?’ may follow…
thanks
Allen
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Allen Reynolds left an annotation ()
Update: Tu 06 Sep, 9:40am
Re: the ‘Summary – COLP’ says ‘Account Will be paid on 05-Sep-2022’
no, it wasn't...
Inland Revenue Department
Dear Allen Reynolds
Thank you for your request for information under the Official Information
Act received on 2022-09-04.
Please find attached the response to your request.
Kind regards
Governance and Ministerial Services | Inland Revenue - Te Tari Taake
Allen Reynolds left an annotation ()
so...
really, they're just making it up as they go along?
cripes, I didn't realise I could be responsible for - "a negative effect on the integrity of the tax system..."
and, they wasted a whole paragraph about claiming the COLP - even when I stated this was about procedure, not case(s)
but, there's no paragraph on how to return payments made to those not eligible...
however, they do say I will be 'world famous, on the IRD website' - big whoop!
A
From: Allen Reynolds
thanks Inland Revenue Department
a timely response - well, before the 30th at least...
wonder what's gonna happen Monday - the 3rd, last COLP...
Allen
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Allen Reynolds left an annotation ()
hi everybody...
join in - ask Q's of the IRD...
I suspect they're kinda winging it - after all one of their emails says - "We are continually improving how we check eligibility..." - aka, changing what we do... never mind the Official Procedure
I do feel a bit sorry for IRD -
1) elected politicians simply told them to throw money at people, but only the right ones...
2) it is an 'opt-out' system - the worst way to run this - but it was arranged at short notice - see point 1)
so... yeah...
Link to this