You received a letter or an invitation to meet from the Revenue Department: what to do first
How to respond when your company receives a letter from the Revenue Department: identify what it is about, check which returns are outstanding, assemble the documents requested, attend the meeting and follow up.
Zura Labs & Business Hub Co., Ltd.
First, read carefully whether the letter asks for documents, reminds you of missing returns, or invites you to meet an officer, and note the response deadline. Never go silent: no reply turns the matter into an assessment made without your input. Next, check the filing status of every return type, assemble exactly the documents listed, and reply in writing before the deadline. If part of it is not ready, formally request more time instead of letting the date pass. Penalties and surcharges are decided by the Revenue Department.
Reviewed 2026-09-21 by the Zura Labs corporate services team.
- The first thing to check
- The type of letter, its reference number, the tax period involved, and the reply deadline
- Returns most often questioned
- PP.30 VAT, withholding returns PND 1 / 3 / 53, and corporate income tax PND 50 / 51
- Documents requested almost every time
- Ledgers, input and output tax invoices, bank statements for every account, and expense support
- Authorisation
- If someone attends on your behalf, a stamped power of attorney with ID copies of both parties is required
- Late filing
- Late returns can still be filed, month by month in order, and each period carries its own penalty and surcharge
- What nobody can promise
- Reduction or waiver of penalties: that discretion belongs to the officer under the regulations
How this works in practice
- 01
Scan the letter and record the deadline
Keep both envelope and letter: the postmark matters for counting the deadline. Then work backwards from the due date and set an internal date at least a week earlier.
- 02
Audit the filing history across all return types
Do not check only the issue named in the letter: once a review starts, other returns for the same period are commonly asked about too.
- 03
Assemble documents in the order the officer listed them
Add an index page ordered to match the letter, and note plainly which items cannot be located, with the factual reason.
- 04
Reply in writing and keep proof of submission
File in person or through the channel stated, then keep the receipt, stamp or acknowledgement email in the same file as the original letter.
- 05
Close the gap that caused it
Once the matter closes, set a monthly document cycle, one named owner, and a calendar for every return so filings stop slipping.
Reasons this gets delayed or rejected
Answering by phone with no record
Explanations without written backup usually have to be redone on paper, costing a full round of time.
Filing late returns out of order
Carried-forward balances and tax credits stop reconciling, forcing several rounds of amended filings.
Dumping more than was requested
An unindexed pile lengthens the review and opens questions outside the original scope.
Answers to the questions we hear most
What happens if I ignore the letter?
The process continues without your input. The officer can assess tax from the data on hand, which is usually higher than reality, and disputing later is harder than explaining at the start.
Do I need a lawyer or an accountant with me?
For a routine document request, your bookkeeper is usually enough. For an assessment, a dispute over revenue, or anything touching director liability, involve both the accounting and the legal side.
My company had no revenue. Do I still respond?
Yes. Filing duties do not depend on having revenue: a dormant company still files nil returns on schedule, and failing to do so is what triggers most letters.
Can I ask for more time?
You can, in writing and before the deadline, stating the factual reason and the date you can deliver. Granting it is at the officer's discretion, but a formal request is far better than a silent miss.
Some years of documents are lost. What now?
Start with historical bank statements, ask counterparties for copies of tax invoices, and pull what was already filed in the system. Rebuild from that evidence and state plainly which parts are reconstructed rather than original.
This is general preparation information, not case-specific legal or accounting advice. Government fees, processing times and conditions change with official announcements. We review each guide on a schedule and show the review date on the page.