There is a chance that the money might not be theirs.
According to officials, the government department is experiencing problems with its new computerised system resulting in several people receiving cheques via the mail – some for thousands of dollars – although they were not entitled to tax returns for the period 2008 to 2009.
“Our internal auditors are working on the situation and we have been calling individuals asking them to return the cheques,” said a senior Inland Revenue official who preferred not to be identified. “We will be able to identify them, so they should not attempt to cash them.”
The matter was brought to the Daily Nation‘s attention last Monday when local businessman, David Spieler, chief executive officer of Earthworks and Flower Forest, said he had received a cheque in the mail for $6,361, although he had paid that same amount to Inland Revenue last June. His mother, well-known potter Goldie Spieler, was also sent a cheque for more than $5,000, to which she was not entitled. Spieler said other cases had been brought to his attention.
“I know that I am not due any tax returns for the period 2008 to 2009.
Our accountant generated the returns and we paid what was owed to Inland Revenue,” he added.
Even before the department was contacted, Spieler said, it was his intention to return the cheques since internal auditing in due process would reveal the discrepancies.
He said his accountant explained that it was a “computer book-keeping automatic-generated error”.
Spieler produced copies of his tax assessment year of income 2008 forms, where he identified the error under the Field Name Tax due listing.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Senator Darcy Boyce, said he was not aware of the computer-related problem.
He added, however, that he would await word from permanent secretary in the Ministry of Finance William Layne, and Commissioner of Inland Revenue Sabina Walcott-Denny.
