request for IT38

In the nick of time, I completed my 2018 income tax return and now the Revenue owe me something. However, they state that I am outstanding an IT38 for Sept 2018 to Aug 2019. I didn't receive anything in the 2018-2019 period and I was under the impression that an IT38 return was not required if you didn't get anything taxable. Now I was the beneficiary of a person who died in that period, the money was subsequently paid out in two tranches and I made an IT38 return for 2019-20 and 2021-22 and paid the tax due. So they have already received the tax on the full value of the bequest and I am not sure what they expect from this request.
Do I file an IT38 with zero or should I ask them?

I’d ask them just too be clear.

An IT38 is for the calendar year not 2 years

Depending on the bequest, the tax and IT38 could have been due in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and/or 2022

jpd said:

An IT38 is for the calendar year not 2 years

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No, an IT38 is for the year ended 31 August annually, so it's common to refer to a particular IT38 as being for 2021/22 for example.

jpd said:

Depending on the bequest, the tax and IT38 could have been due in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and/or 2022

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+1. The valuation date of the benefit determines the dating and filing obligations of the associated IT38.

I think I'll have to ask them. I haven't sought to avoid the tax, they may have a different understanding of the valuation date than me and think that I paid the tax a year too late, but there is only so much in the bequest and the tax has been paid on this. I suspect this is a case of over simplistic matching of the date when they wrote to me and the IT38 date, ignoring the two subsequent IT38 returns.