Hong Kong tax chief apologises after online interface error leads to 33,000 unfiled returns

Hong Kong's Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Benjamin Chan, has apologized after an investigation revealed that more than 33,000 taxpayers were unable to file their tax returns through the electronic eTAX platform due to unclear interface wording. This led to some 800 taxpayers facing penalties in the 2025-26 tax year. The issue arose because users were misled into believing their tax returns were successfully completed when, in fact, they were still incomplete.

The Office of the Ombudsman investigated the matter following multiple complaints. Commissioner Chan stated that eTAX and the iAM Smart digital signature platform would be revamped, with users being reminded to return to eTAX to confirm their filing completion. Among the affected taxpayers, around 26,000 corrected their filings, while the remaining 800 received penalties.

One taxpayer, Luk Che-chung, a former Hospital Authority chief executive, admitted to receiving a HK$600 penalty for failing to file his returns. He expressed relief upon learning about the Ombudsman's investigation and the need for authorities to review such issues to prevent future occurrences.