Why I hate IRAS : Reason 1041

As I walked into the home yesterday evening, I sensed that something was freezing cold. Quickly I realized that it was my wife. Of her many faces, she wore her confrontational face and came in front of me. Trisha, my little one, was next to her with almost a similar face too!

She : Where is Kim Seng Road?
Me : What is that? Is that where Trisha’s school is? Oh that is Koon Seng Road, isn’t it?
She : You sure you don’t know? What is this IRAS letter about then?

I took it from her to read. She quickly snatched it from me even before I got the full impact of it. It seems IRAS wants to tax me for a new Condominium I bought this June in 60, Kim Seng Road, Singapore, #15-02.

She : Explain!

Me : I don’t know. What in the world is that? I never bought any condo anywhere.

Trisha : Daddy, tell me in my ears. Do you really own a condo?

She : Trisha! You idiot. That means there is someone else in his life. I will have to step out of him.

Trisha : Yehhh! Then I will live with daddy in the new condo.

She : You ##$$%%%**&.

Me : Calm down. There is some error somewhere. Let me check the IRAS website.

I logged into IRAS and, bang, the property was listed on my name with the amount I owe them as property tax. I was beginning to wonder if I really did something and forgot about it. My mental google was kick started. No… I don’t think I bought…

She : I want to go to that condo and see who is living there. How come you are not agitated? Are you trying to cover up anything?

Me : Huh! Haizz… Wait, let me call that address.

There was a phone number of the builder listed on the web. When I called, no one was picking up. I called IRAS and could only talk to their IVR system as it was after-office hours.

Me : Hold until morning. I will sort this out.

She : No, I cant sleep tonight. This is very distressing. Why aren’t you troubled?

Me : Hey, I haven’t done anything shady. It would be a matter of someone else fixing some errors. That’s it.

She : In that case, I want them to apologise seriously. I want to go to Police first and register something legally. I can’t just let this pass away.

The police station is only a couple of blocks away. And I thought if I resist cooperating, it will further fuel her fury.

Trisha : Yehh, I am very thrilled to go into a police station for the first time. Daddy, will you buy me something on the way back?

We walked quietly. It was late in the night by then. Few sleepy young officers were chit chatting and watching ‘Glee!’ on the TV.

Trisha : Sigh.. this only looks like a hospital!

We explained the case to them. They studied the IRAS letter, checked with a senior officer and decided to register the information. When the wife went through her distress that she had to doubt me, the senior guy gave me a quick naughty grin. A brotherhood suddenly emerged in between, extended its arms and embraced both of us. As we returned back, the tightness so far has relaxed a bit. It was time for me to put Trisha to bed and she was whispering in my ears.

Trisha : Daddy, did you really buy?
Me : Shuddup and sleep Baby.

What a day!

This morning, I called IRAS first thing in the morning. Wife was listening on the speaker phone. I went through the whole case with the officer. He said, he will call me back. He did call me back in 40 minutes and said that he passed the case to the backroom for investigation. When I insisted to know what he discovered so far, he did not comment. He said his colleagues will call me back by the tomorrow.

I got another call from IRAS in the next few hours - this time, a girl with a sweet voice. She clarified that it was an error; they rectified it and apologized for all the inconveniences. I pressed further to understand what the error was. She again tried to charm me with her smile, apologized again and asked me to ignore those notices from IRAS.

Now I have these questions lingering in my mind

1. Should I stop trusting them from now on? Tax calculations, other processes etc?

2. Where did this error originate? Was it just IRAS or other connected govt agencies?

3. Like Aloo said in Facebook, did I just let them go unpunished?