Tuesday 29 May 2007

Figures... Yeah.

I suppose, for certain values of "fair," this is fair enough. Like, if "fair" == "fair to the bigger companies, oppressive to individuals" then it's fair. Or if "fair" == "totally rotten scurrilous and invasive." There's a lot of ways you could say it's fair.

But those businesses that are "gaining an unfair advantage over competitors by deliberately avoiding tax" - I'd just about bet that they won't really notice this new campaign. You and I, on the other hand, we're prime targets for this. Haven't repaid a tax debt from last year of $100 or so, figuring you'll pick it upthis time around? Don't bet on it... While those dodgy businesses can shuffle employees around the phone extensions, afford answering and screening services, changing their phone numbers even, we with less resources can't move everyy time the Taxation Dept sends us a dunning letter, can't change the mobile number each time we get a "please respond" SMS or phonecall from "withheld"...

As if the depth they reach into our pockets with petrol excise isn't already enough. (And yep - for every tankfull of petrol you put in your car you're giving the government between $19 and $28 straight up.)

So how much of that money is going toward paying this call centre contract? How much of your taxes are going towards it? And when said call centre calls you and harasses you 10 -20 times in one day over what turns out to be an accounting error, will you get some of my tax back in damages?

And I bet this call centre will be exempt from the Do Not Call Register too...

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