TEETHING problems with the new Itis (income tax instalment system) are under scrutiny by the business community this month as the scheme nears the end of the first month of operation.

With small businesses in particular likely to be affected by the changeover, the Chamber of Commerce small business sub-committee is meeting this week to discuss any specific issues and take matters forward.

Sub-committee chairman David Warr said the kind of questions that he was hearing about were mainly to do with part-time and casual staff getting caught under the tax umbrella.

Examples included people working at a restaurant for three hours on one or two evenings a week, or people working part-time on Saturdays.

‘When you bring in a rule such as Itis, it is surprising who it catches,’ said Mr Warr.

However, he said the Chamber did not want to take a confrontational position straight away, but were intending to invite someone from the Income Tax Department to meet the sub-committee and talk things through.