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Tax seminars win IRD place in finals
Tax seminars run for small businesses have won Inland Revenue a place in the finals of the Vero Excellence in Business
Support Awards.
Inland Revenue is up against carboNZero programme, EECA (the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) and
Statistics New Zealand in the BDO Government Local & National awards’ category.
The Vero Excellence in Business Support Awards are held annually to celebrate the best on offer to business in New
Zealand. The awards are the brainchild of Sarah Trotman and are sponsored by Vero and BDO, and are a key event leading
up to the annual Bizzone Business Expo, New Zealand's largest event for business. The winners will be announced at a
Black Tie Gala Dinner in the Auckland Town Hall on 20 May.
Inland Revenue tax seminars and workshops for people working in small businesses were developed and implemented by
Inland Revenue’s Community Relationships business unit to help customers comply with revenue laws but also as an
opportunity to network with like business people.
The seminars focus on education, reduced compliance costs, awareness of obligations, a full understanding of Inland
Revenue products and service and encourage using Inland Revenue’s online services to enable ownership.
By providing educational seminars targeted at people starting new businesses the Inland Revenue found more voluntary
compliance because of the establishment of good business practices and consequently more awareness of their tax
obligations.
“Inland Revenue aims to be responsive to the changing and increasing expectations of government and the community. We
want to make it easy for customers to get it right and hard to get it wrong and ensure we’re professional, effective and
efficient in all our dealings,” Inland Revenue’s Jacquie Hayes said. “We also want to ensure there is confidence that
appropriate action will be taken against customers who do not comply.”
The tax seminars are now being offered throughout New Zealand to all business sectors.
Roger Bell, Chief Executive of Vero Insurance, the Foundation Sponsor of the Vero Excellence in Business Support awards,
says, “It is inspiring to see the impressive range of finalists that demonstrate international levels of best practice
in their businesses and quality support as a key part of their business. This year there has been a resounding 163
nominations and entries which shows the growing commitment of New Zealand’s business support organisations to
excellence.”
The 37 finalists were selected by The New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation which provides an independent and
robust evaluation process for the awards’ 10 categories.
“In today’s tight economy businesses need to be excellent to survive, particularly in the support area,” Sarah Trotman
says. “We have widened the scope of the awards to include South and North Island categories this year and the high
number of entries for the awards speaks volumes about how business support is viewed by organisations today.”
“Excellent business support assists New Zealand businesses to build capability and capacity and in doing so they become
more competitive and sustainable,” says Mike Watson, chief executive of the New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation.
Ends