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Annual Report 2019-20
7 Information Technology
The Department has been making extensive use of information technology to enhance operational efficiency and provide quality services to the public.
IT Environment
The Department has built up a comprehensive and integrated IT infrastructure with different types of computer application systems and platforms. The Department’s network connects the computer system and workstations of staff on different floors. Assessment process is automated by the “Assess-First-Audit-Later”
system. Tax audit and investigation work is facilitated by the use of data mining and advanced analytical tools. The Document Management System and Workflow Management System enhance the control and monitoring of documents, files and workflow, facilitate the tracking of case progress, and thus enable the Department to improve overall service quality. A wide range of information is stored in the Department’s Intranet and General Enquiry Knowledge Database for convenient access by our staff at work. Moreover, e-mail and Internet facilities provide an efficient and environment-friendly communication platform for our staff.
Electronic Services
eTAX
The Department continues to provide a wide range of online tax services to the public, including internet filing of tax returns, e-stamping of property documents, business registration e-services, electronic notices, electronic payments and lodgement of applications, etc.
eTAX services are widely used by the public. As at 31 March 2020, there were some 981,000 registered eTAX users. The take-up rate increased year after year (Figure 34).
Annual Report 2019-20 31
Figure 34 eTAX Usage Statistics
2018-19 Number
2019-20 Number
Increase/
Decrease Internet filing of tax returns
- Tax Return-Individuals, Property Tax Return and Profits Tax Return
661,587 725,375 +9.6%
- Employer’s Return of Remuneration and Pensions
BIR56A 15,335 23,219 +51.4%
IR56B 145,696 299,009 +105.2%
- Employer’s Notifications of Commencement of Employment, Cessation of Employment and Employee’s Departure from Hong Kong
24,727 32,505 +31.5%
Stamping of Property Document 307,792 294,932 -4.2%
Business Registration Number Enquiry 2,940,302 5,559,018 +89.1%
Application for Supply of Information on the Business Register
- Requisition 181,781 166,101 -8.6%
- Business registrations involved 503,938 487,255 -3.3%
Other Electronic Services
During 2019-20, some 36,200 employers furnished annual returns for 2,757,200 employees in total by diskettes, DVDs or USB storage devices. About 62% of these employers used the free software provided by the Department.
