Bureaucratic Hurdles in Change of Address at IRD

The ease of doing business is often touted as a key driver of economic growth. However, businesses continue to face unnecessary administrative burdens, particularly when dealing with regulatory agencies such as the Department of Inland Revenue (IRD).

 

One glaring example is the process required to update a company’s registered address. Instead of a streamlined approach, businesses must submit over ten documents to the IRD—despite the fact that a single document, the updated Business Registration Certificate from the Registrar of Companies, should be sufficient proof of the change.

 

Currently, the IRD mandates submission of the following:

 

 

While ensuring compliance is necessary, the excessive documentation requirements create an unnecessary administrative burden in the form of delays and costs for businesses. Furthermore, the policy of refusing address changes for companies with unpaid taxes raises a critical question: How does the IRD intend to communicate with a defaulter if their address remains outdated?

 

If the government is serious about improving the ease of doing business, bureaucratic red tape must be removed. The IRD can recognize the Business Registration Certificate as the primary document for address updates, thereby reducing bureaucratic red tape and fostering a more business-friendly environment.

 

A G Weerasinghe