TAX SECTOR APPROACHING FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION TO ENHANCE NATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS

By carrying out consistent technology solutions, the tax sector is actively approaching the Fourth Industrial Revolution to accelerate administrative reform and enhance national competitiveness.

In 2017, up to 99.64 per cent of companies declared taxes on electronic means and 97.9 per cent paid taxes online. Over VND392,160 billion of taxes and over 2.4 million electronic tax transactions were made online in the year. As many as 2,155 companies declared tax refund claims as of October 29, 2017, accounting for 31.94 per cent out of the total of 6,747 companies registered. The sector received 5,295 claim forms requesting a refund of VND30,451 billion. The electronic system settled 1,629 records with a total refund value of VND10,369 billion.

The Government issued Resolution 19/NQ-CP on implementation of major tasks and solutions for better business environment and stronger national competitiveness. The Government requested an accelerated application of information technology to solve administrative procedures and provide online public services. By the end of 2018, most popular public services at Level 3 and Level 4 will be provided online.

Enforcing the governmental resolution, the tax sector has gradually stepped up information technology modernisation, especially making use of advanced technological achievements in the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Currently, information technology is being widely applied to all tax fields to simplify administrative procedures, reduce costs for businesses and people and boost revenue growth rapidly and sustainably.

In the past years, electronic tax transactions, tax payment, tax declaration and tax refund largely benefited taxpayers, created breakthroughs in administrative reform, and produced very positive effects on people and society. The tax sector has created a convenient environment by constantly trying to reform administrative procedures and apply information technology in tax transactions.

At present, the sector has basically launched electronic tax declaration, payment and refund services in most localities throughout the country. In addition, it continues to build its own database for e-commerce business management, information on performance of tax obligations, and information on financial situations.

The sector has also fully implemented the information exchange regime with national tax authorities who signed tax avoidance agreements with Vietnam in order to capture information on revenue and income of organisations and individuals doing business in Vietnam, thus defining tax obligations and preventing fraudulent acts and tax evasion.

In the coming time, the tax sector will continue to accelerate research and application of achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to reform administration and enhance national competitiveness.

Source: VCCI