Jul 19, 2001, (The Daily Telegraph /FT Information via COMTEX) -- The Inland Revenue is chasing just over a million pay-as-you-earn taxpayers after computer errors affected its 1997-1998 tax year records. Computer glitches and other problems left it with 3.04m incomplete records last October, but manual searches were able to uncover details for only 2m people. The Revenue initially sought ministerial approval for it to not have to track down the remaining taxpayers, but backed down on its position and began sending out requests for information on July 2. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants' head of taxation, Chas Roy-Chowdhury, has said that the Revenue should consider writing off small debts, or spacing out repayments for larger debts, for taxpayers who have acted in good faith.

Northern Light

-- Anonymous, July 28, 2001