WORDING on the 45,000 Itis effective rate forms that have been dropping through Island letterboxes over the last few weeks is misleading, according to the Data Protection Registrar.

And Registrar Emma Martins says Itis will force workers to sacrifice some of their privacy by effectively indicating to employers whether their staff have outside sources of income.

The letters say that ‘by law’ recipients must hand the form to their employer and accept the effective rate, but Emma Martins says that is just not the case.

Tax officials have now agreed to reword the letters in future.

Itis will earn the States £5m by forcing people to pay income tax bills in installments.

The effective rate forms that have gone out over the last few weeks set out what rate people should be paying, but if taxpayers would prefer to pay at a maximum of 15 per cent than their notified rate from the Income Tax office, they are free to do so.

Mrs Martins has also criticised the Comptroller of Income Tax’s don’t be ‘so stupid’ warning to Islanders who would rather pay at 15 per cent than their effective rate.