Couple have IRD warning for others

A New Plymouth couple emerging from an expensive 18-month battle with the tax man over child support payments are wondering how many others are in the same boat.

To get to the start of Shaun and Megan Dymond's costly story you have to go back to their wedding day on December 15, 2008 and then the birth of their son in October 2009.

With Mr Dymond already paying child support for two children from a previous relationship, the couple knew they had to notify Inland Revenue of their changes in circumstance.

The couple said Mr Dymond telephoned Inland Revenue on various occasions to tell them about both of these events.

However, his child support payments continued to be assessed as a single man without a child because the Inland Revenue had not received notice of the changes in writing.

For 18 months the family paid hundreds of dollars more than they would have if Mr Dymond had been acknowledged as both married and with another child to support, his wife said.

"We have no problems paying child support. The problem we have is we have overpaid them for all this time because no-one ever told us you had to notify them in writing about your change in circumstances," Mrs Dymond said. "It's scary to think to how may people this is happening to as well."

Following investigations into the issue by the Taranaki Daily News on Monday the couple were informed the Inland Revenue had found written evidence of their change in circumstance dating back to December 2008.

"They called to say they had found my family support application from December 2008 which my husband had signed and they could use that as written notification. They said it was a bit unusual but if it's deemed to be written notification by them I don't see why it's unusual," she said.

Mrs Dymond was told her husband's child support assessments would be backdated to December 2008 and she presumed that meant they would get some money back.

A spokeswoman for the tax department said they were unable to comment on individual cases but if a person had a change in circumstances that would result in a decreased child support payment the liable parent needed to tell Inland Revenue in writing within 28 days of the change.

"If written notice is received within 28 days of the change then the assessment will be amended from the date of the change. Otherwise the assessment will be amended with effect from the date that written notice is received from the liable parent."

The spokeswoman said the simplest way to do this was to either use the "get it done online" change of circumstances form or send them email correspondence using their secure online facility.

- © Fairfax NZ News