Inland Revenue has responded to the Taxation Committee's submissions on IRD's Standard Practice Statements (SPS) relating to the disputes resolution process when commenced by the Commissioner of Inland Revenue and when commenced by a taxpayer. The committee is pleased that the IRD's Legal and Technical Services has adopted many of the recommendations it made. The committee has recently completed two further submissions on IRD exposure drafts as part of the government's overall projects programme to reduce emissions, one relating to GST treatment and the other to income tax. The committee is currently finalising its paper, in liaison with the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants, on the IRD disputes resolution and challenge procedures and is drafting a submission on the policy paper titled Options for Strengthening GST Neutrality in Business to Business Transactions. Copies of the committee's completed submissions are available on the society's website www.lawyers.org.nz or by emailing fionnuala.kelly@lawyers.org.nz.

Fionnuala Kelly

NZLS Secretariat