FRAUDULENT tax clearance and tax compliance certificates (TCCs), including fake letters, are being circulated and falsely claiming that legitimately issued certificates have been cancelled due to a system error.
The Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS) has confirmed detecting the circulation of those fraudulent and unauthorised documents saying they did not originate from the service.
The TCC is a certificate of compliance issued to a person as proof that the person is compliant with the filing and payment of taxes in accordance with the relevant tax laws; and it is required by law when a person applies for any registration, permit or license from any Government ministry or entity.
The FRCS has, therefore, urged businesses, government ministries and departments, statutory bodies, financial institutions, procurement entities and members of the public to exercise extreme caution and independently verify the authenticity of any certificate purportedly issued by FRCS before relying on it for any official purpose.
It has also advised relevant parties that the FRCS does not cancel, revoke, or invalidate tax clearance or tax compliance certificates through informal emails, third-party correspondence or unverified letters.
FRCS chief executive officer Udit Singh said any attempts to undermine the integrity of Fiji’s tax administration was taken very seriously.
“The circulation of fake tax certificates and fraudulent cancellation notices is a deliberate attempt to deceive businesses, government agencies, and the public and FRCS will not tolerate any activity that compromises the integrity of our systems and processes,” Mr Singh said.
He warned the creation, distribution, possession, use, or presentation of false tax documents constituted serious criminal offences and could result in investigation and prosecution under the applicable laws in the country.
“Offenders may face substantial fines, imprisonment, or both.”
Mr Singh said it was important to verify certificates through official channels before accepting them as valid.
“We strongly urge all organisations and individuals not to accept any tax certificate at face value.
“Verification should be undertaken immediately through our official certificate validation portal or directly with FRCS.”
Mr Singh further advised organisations that encounter suspicious certificates to take immediate precautionary measures.
“Where a fraudulent or suspicious certificate is identified, organisations should retain a copy of the document, suspend or pause the relevant transaction or process, and report the matter immediately to FRCS together with details of the individual or entity that submitted the document.
“Any person found to be producing, distributing, possessing, or using fraudulent tax documents will be subject to investigation and appropriate action under the law.”
