In those rare cases where the commissioner decides to do so, it is necessary for the taxpayer (in most cases an ordinary citizen with little tax knowledge) to try as much as possible to cooperate with the tax man to avoid unnecessary hurdles and delays which may translate into a sour relationship between the state and the citizen. Normally the poor citizen (at the back of his mind) will be wondering why me of all the people in the world? Tax enquiry into your personal affairs is like death that strikes unexpectedly and its pointless asking why me but rather its better to address the situation and get over it expeditiously as possible.
The most frequently asked questions by taxpayers ranges from personal rights to personal liberties. This is not surprising as a tax enquiry more often demands disclosures of taxpayer's private affairs. It is not unusual for the taxpayer to complain about invasion of privacy by the taxman, but this defense based on 'unfairness' and 'erosion of civil liberties' by the tax man is not helpful as tax legislation empowers the tax man to enquire about taxpayers' private and personal lives. For instance, the taxpayer is empowered by the law to enquire about your funeral expenses even if you are deceased and you are six feet under ground! The taxman can also enquire about funeral expenses about your deceased spouse. The taxman's power allows him to ask citizens about their holiday expenses, wedding expenses and other cork tail parties that you may undertake.
