Tax agents need to learn from the IRB too

I WOULD like to share my experience with the payment department of the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) which had invited taxpayers to attend a training programme on how to use e-PCB, an online platform used by employers to submit information on the amount deducted from their employees’ salary. It’s a great initiative to reduce paperwork and save taxpayers a lot of hassle.

My registration was successful until the IRB found out I was from a tax agent firm. The person in charge informed me the programme was not for tax agents and when I questioned further, they said this was the instruction from their superiors and told me to refer to the professional bodies. Although lack of resources may be their reason for doing this, the IRB has failed to realise that tax agents are important educators to taxpayers as well.