Te Puke residents no longer need to travel to Tauranga for an in-person appointment with an Inland Revenue advisor.

From Tuesday, February 13 onwards, they will be able to access an Inland Revenue clinic at the Te Puke Library and Service Centre, which will be held on the second Tuesday of each month.

“We’re very excited about the new service,” says Libraries Eastern Western Bay Team Leader Amanda-Jane McFadden.

“More and more, libraries are evolving into community hubs, by expanding their services to meet the changing needs of their communities.

"This is a much-needed service in Te Puke and the wider area and we are pleased to be able to offer it locally.”

The appointment-only service will be available between 10am and 2pm, and people can register by email at taurangadavisoryrequest@ird.govt.nz or via the Inland Revenue call centre - 0800 775 247.

The new service will offer help with income tax, tax codes, tax returns, Working for Families, child support payments, KiwiSaver accounts and contributions, and making arrangements for debt.

When registering, people must reference ‘Te Puke appointment’ and provide their name, address, phone number, IRD number and what they would like to discuss.

Te Puke Library and Service Centre already offers several other services to the community, including an on-site AA Licensing Agency, Citizen’s Advice Bureau drop-in sessions on the first and third Tuesday of each month between 1pm and 3pm, and a weekly JP clinic every Thursday between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

“Local services like this are vital for people in our community, especially those who face barriers to accessing information, like not having family support nearby or access to the internet,” says Amanda-Jane.

“As many services become centralised, people are increasingly seeing their local library as a trusted place where they can get help. It’s about the community looking after the community.”