The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) urges the general public to follow the guidelines issued by the department and to use the services of authorized tax consultants and auditors, if such services are necessary, to avoid the misuse of their confidential information.Joining the “At HydePark” current affairs programme on Ada Derana 24, the Senior Deputy Commissioner of the Inland Revenue Department Nihal Wijewardana revealed that several official channels have been opened up for the general public to answer any concerns and ease the process of obtaining the Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN).Mr.

Wijewardana further expressed that people can obtain required assistance regarding the matter directly from the IRD through the hotline number 1944.

The general public can also visit the regional offices of the department for any required assistance regarding this or obtain the TIN easily, he added.“If not you can follow the formal online process introduced by the department by visiting the official website of the Inland Revenue Department through www.ird.gov.lk”Meanwhile, also joining the program, Deputy Commissioner General of the IRD Saman Shantha outlined that the country’s top tax collecting authority is in the process of implementing a centralised system to collect information pertaining to personal income by linking up with other departments and institutions within the country.