Briefly: Businesses offered free video on tax

GETTING Tax Right from the Start is a new video tape available free from Inland Revenue inquiry centres - there are about 400 around the country, listed in telephone books - to small businesses and the self-employed.

The video says the Revenue is willing to help start-up businesses work out their tax liabilities. The Revenue's offices will not give advice on minimising bills but will tell businesses what their allowances are.

The Revenue admits that tax can be a complicated issue for small businesses and the self-employed because not all their affairs will necessarily be dealt with by one office. Also, bills are based on the preceeding year's earnings rather than the current year. However, plans are afoot to have taxpayers' affairs dealt with from one office and there are discussions under way to reform the 'preceding year' basis of assessing tax for the self-employed.