‘Improving Communication Strategies and Customer Support towards International Taxpayers’ was the theme of IOTA’s first digital workshop, held 29th-30th September 2021. The event welcomed 126 registered participants from 33 IOTA tax administrations.
Taxpayers who do not speak the language of the jurisdiction where they have an obligation to pay taxes, who do not regularly engage with local authorities, or who are not aware of local tax rules and regulations are just a few of those focus groups who in particular need of more information, guidance and support to stay compliant in the country where they reside.
In the last decade, behavioural insights have been increasingly used by IOTA member tax administrations to inform and design the corresponding tax compliance interventions. Behavioural insights can also help understand and improve how tax administrations communicate with taxpayers and design more effective communication strategies.
At this IOTA workshop, the focus was on identifying practical solutions for enhancing services to international taxpayers implemented by IOTA member tax administrations, focusing on front-end initiatives – segmentation, direct/proactive communication, application of nudging techniques.
During the first day of the event, the plenary session and group discussion centered around the topic of communication strategies towards international taxpayers. More specifically, the presentations included:
- Presentation by Norway: “Increasing compliance by using nudges in a digital tax return. Results from A/B testing in Norway” presented by Anders Habbestad, Anne-Lise Breivik and Martin Nilsskog
- Presentation by Italy: “Italian Revenue Agency’s digital communication actions dedicated to international taxpayers” presented by Giulia Marconi
- Presentation by Hungary: “Dawn of a New Era – trends and challenges experienced in the course of VAT refunds to international taxpayers as well as maintaining connections with international taxpayers” presented by Gábor Sándor
The plenary session and group discussion on the second day put customer support in the spotlight. On this day, three more countries shared their experience:
- Presentation by Finland: “Cross-Border Dialogue” presented by Harri Siltanen
- Presentation by Romania: “New e-services for international taxpayers - NAFA`s experience” presented by Iuliana Udrescu Brutaru and Raluca Iliescu
- Presentation by France: “Helpdesk for non-residents: the ambition to deliver quality remote services” presented by Charles Ravet
Presenters, participants and experts concluded the event during a Panel Debate. The lively Q&A sessions, group discussions and insightful plenary sessions all made this event a memorable first digital workshop in IOTA’s history!
Registered IOTA websites users can find the presentations, group discussion notes and the recording of the Workshop on the event page.