Hanoi Department of Taxation: A positive change in tax finalization

Pressures of tax finalization on Tax offices and taxpayers have been reduced significantly. Picture: Thùy Linh.

Strengthen in direct support.

Over years, the Hanoi Department of Taxation has strongly applied IT in various stages in tax administration with many projects of the sector such as: online tax declaration, electronic tax payment, electronic office, electronic bill, and electronic tax refund… Thanks to that, with the number of taxpayers submitting tax finalization in the capital is very large, the majority of taxpayers submitted electronically. However, there are a number of taxpayers who directly deal with tax offices due to problems in the tax declaration process thus, the Hanoi Department of Taxation has still deployed “the month with taxpayers”, enhancing the receipt points of tax finalization documents to support taxpayers.

According to Mr. Mai Son, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Taxation, in the tax finalization in 2016, the Hanoi Department of Taxation has reformed and strengthened supportive forms, which not only support at the single window part but also support at the departments of inspection and tax declaration; not only supply by telephone but also sends regular guide documents via email to taxpayers, posts on its website to help them understand and carry out as stipulated. At the same time, the Tax offices have also renewed the forms of receiving dossiers, they are not only to receive at their offices but also at the headquarters of taxpayers which have a large number of dossiers.

Thanks to this, after 3 weeks of implementing “the months with taxpayers”, the Department of Taxation has received about 23.000 tax finalization dossiers, increased by 16.6% compared to the same period last year. So far, about 25% of taxpayers have completed their 2016 tax finalization.

Mr. Mai Son says: “Thanks to the careful preparation and experience from the previous accounting seasons, we have planned specific scripts with points of receiving dossiers as well as supporting in accounting work and submitting tax finalization. After 3 weeks of “the month with taxpayers” in the tax finalization work, we have recognized the excitement and comments of taxpayers. The pressures on the Department of Taxation and taxpayers has been reduced significantly. Tax declaration and finalization has gradually come to settle, no longer a problem for taxpayers. This is a good sign.

About taxpayers, Ms Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh, Representative of Viettel Trading and Import-Export Co. Ltd is quite pleased with the support of the Tax offices in the tax finalization over time. Compared to the past, to complete tax finalization of over 5,000 dossiers, the staff in charge struggled to queue in the early morning with 3-4 people sharing files to submit, but now, this work is done simply and quickly.

“Since the beginning of the year, the Company has received support from the Department of Taxation by sending guiding emails. Besides, from the last week, our unit also came to the Tax offices to be guided directly and got answers. Over years, the unit has received a lot of guidelines of Tax offices, especially staff in charge phoned regularly and supported. I think our unit and other units in Viettel Group are really well serviced.

“Shake hands” with tax agents

A point is recognized to be new in the year, the Hanoi Department of Taxation has invited a number of tax agents to support enterprises at desks of receiving dossiers and guiding taxpayers. The strengthening of the collaboration between the Hanoi Department of Taxation and tax agents has contributed to improve the quality, and promote the role of tax agents in raising taxpayers’ awareness of law observance, facilitating production and business activities of taxpayers to develop and promote the socialization in supporting taxpayers under the guidelines of the Tax System Reform Strategy for 2011-2020.

Mr. Mai Son says: “Collaborate with tax agents to enhance forms of supporting taxpayers not only supports receiving dossiers rapidly and fully, in accordance with regulation, but it also supports and provides information about the points of receiving tax dossiers for enterprises to pay tax favorably. And finally is to increase support at appropriate times such as “the month with taxpayers” in the tax offices.

According to Mr. Dang Anh Tuan, representative of the Ocean Park Building, the Hanoi Department of Taxation inviting tax agents to support taxpayers in the peak month of 2016 tax finalization has promoted the role of the tax agents. “This is a bright sign of the tax finalization in the year. The opening of more points to receive dossiers as well as the collaboration between tax offices and tax agents will reduce congestion, especially at the end of March. I hope that in the coming time, the Hanoi Department of Taxation continues to carry out the connection method as in this year for taxpayers to see the convenience and do their responsibility and obligation to the State.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Dung, Head of Hoan Kiem District Tax Department:

“This year, the number of enterprises and organizations paying tax at Hoan Kiem District Tax Department is nearly 5,000. So far, the number of enterprises have paid reaching over 30% (increased nearly 20% compared to the same period last year). This year, the Hanoi Department of Taxation has implemented actively tax finalization with practical and effective measures. The propaganda to support taxpayers has been implemented logically, thus, enterprises have been actively finalized, reducing work, time of enterprises and costs of Tax offices during the implementation process. Notably, the Department has focused on consulting and informing to the group of newly-established enterprises and group having low-frequency in tax declaration because these groups often have subjective thoughts. Thus, groups of enterprises and organizations which often paid late in the last years has had high rates of payment. The rest is largley enterprises having a good habit of implementing tax policies. I believe, at the end of the tax finalization deadline, enterprises will complete on time.

Ms Phung Thu Ha, representative of Vietnam Outsourcing Company Ltd.:

“This is the first time we work with the Hanoi Department of Taxation to support taxpayers in income tax finalization, answering questions from taxpayers in tax finalization, creating a close relationship between Tax offices and taxpayers, avoiding mistakes and helping to complete this work faster. Common mistakes in tax declaration and tax finalization are mistakes in the expense account. Currently, the Tax offices have a body to receive dossiers, and it can help to rewrite dossiers for taxpayers, reducing time for them. Thanks to this, this year, taxpayers have been much more convenient in tax finalization, avoided wasting time as in previous years.

Mr. Nguyen Sinh Thanh – Deputy Director of the VSI.,Jsc – Cau Giay, Hanoi.

This year, the Tax sector has had 3 main points in tax reform. The first, electronic tax declaration and payment help enterprises to reduce time. The second, when having new tax policies, Tax offices update timely for us via email and guide to register. The third, on the website of the General Department of Taxation always updates new tax policies, legal texts and written answers. This is an effective channel for us to avoid mistakes and answer our problems rapidly.

T.L (record)