Rights

If you are a customer of the Department of Inland Revenue (IRD) and are unhappy with the service you receive, or if you disagree with a decision that has been made, you can do something about it.

Basic rights

Everyone has basic rights set out in the Bill of Rights, the Human Rights Act , the Privacy Act and other legislation. These include freedom from discrimination on the grounds of gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, age; disability; privacy and confidentiality; and the right to see information held about you on file.

If you feel you have been discriminated against, or that your privacy has been breached, you can take action.
 

Service Charter

The IRD specifies in its service charter what it aims to provide to customers. You should expect:

  • prompt and professional service
  • reliable information about your entitlements and obligations
  • to have your individual needs acknowledged and solutions found, as far as the law allows
  • to have staff follow through on what they say they will do
  • privacy and confidentiality
  • to have the law applied consistently so that everyone gets what they are entitled to and pays the right amount
  • to be able to question the information and service provided, and to be told about the options available for solving disagreements simply.

Ask for a copy of the full charter from your local office.
 

Problems with the service you receive

If you are unhappy with the standard of service you receive, first talk with the staff member involved - a simple misunderstanding may be quickly resolved. Explain clearly and calmly what your problem is and what action would resolve it. Do this in a way you feel comfortable with - you might phone, write or visit with a support person.

If this doesn't work, write to or make an appointment to see the customer services advisor at your local office. This is a senior staff member whose job it is to look into complaints. When you contact a customer services advisor, state your IRD number, the names of any staff members you have dealt with and when you made contact with them. The advisor will want to make sure you have already tried to resolve the issue with the staff member before considering your complaint. Include copies of any supporting documents or letters and a
daytime phone number. The customer services advisor will aim to resolve the problem within ten working days.

If you are still unhappy, contact the Complaints Management Service who can take a fresh look at your complaint.
 

The Complaints Management Service

Contact the Complaints Management Service by phone (0800 274 138) or in writing. Make sure you include all relevant details. How long your complaint will take to resolve will depend on the nature of the problem, but you should be kept informed of progress.

If you still do not feel that your complaint is resolved, you can contact the Office of the Ombudsmen. The Ombudsmen are appointed to investigate complaints about government agencies - they are independent and accountable to Parliament.

Further Links