Review of Public Information Bulletins

To assist taxpayer certainty and compliance, Inland Revenue has commenced a review of Public Information Bulletins (PIBs) and Tax Information Bulletins (TIBs) published prior to 31 December 1995.

PIBs were published regularly by Inland Revenue between September 1963 and July 1989. As tax advisors and some taxpayers will be aware PIBs are dated and often refer to legislation that has been repealed or amended. They also often refer to information that is very general in nature with limited analysis or reasoning to support the views expressed. In addition, the Commissioner's views or reasoning may well have developed or changed significantly since that time. Inland Revenue ceased publishing PIBs from July 1989, and then commenced publication of TIBs. Similar concerns apply to TIBs published between 1989 and December 1995 before a more robust process, including routine external consultation, was introduced. These TIBs will also be part of the review.

Process

The PIBs and TIBs will be systematically reviewed in date order, starting with the oldest publications and working forward to December 1995.

Notification that an item has been reviewed will be made on the Inland Revenue website. However, where an item is still relevant and correct, it will be updated to reflect current legislation (if necessary) and reissued on the Inland Revenue website and in a current TIB.

Any historical legislative commentary contained in PIBs and the identified TIBs will be made publicly accessible as an electronic archive.

During the course of the review, Inland Revenue will consult with the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants and the New Zealand Law Society. We will also consult with other affected parties as issues arise.

Information on the progress of the review will be available on the Inland Revenue website.

Until the PIB and identified TIB items are reviewed these items should be referenced with some care, and they should not necessarily be taken as the Commissioner's current view of the law or operational practice. Where there is doubt professional advice should be sought.

Any queries regarding this review please contact Craig Robertson, [email protected], 09 985 7189.