Managing Income Tax Compliance Through Self Assessment

Modern tax administrations seek to optimize tax collections while minimizing administration costs and taxpayer compliance costs. Experience shows that voluntary compliance is best achieved through a system of self-assessment. Many tax administrations have introduced self-assessment principles in the income tax law but the legal authority is not being consistently applied. They continue to rely heavily on “desk” auditing a majority of tax returns, while risk management practices remain largely underdeveloped and/or underutilized. There is also plenty of opportunity in many countries to enhance the design and delivery of client-focused taxpayer service programs, and better engage with the private sector and other stakeholders.

"Revenue administration is a major interface between the state and its citizens. A good revenue administration is, therefore, an important attribute of good government. As a result, in recent years, policy makers have become increasingly aware of the importance of policies that will promote business development while ensuring voluntary tax compliance. In the modern context, it is neither desirable nor feasible to examine or inspect every single taxpayer. The revenue administration, therefore, has to rely on effective management of compliance. Promoting voluntary compliance, achieved through a self-assessment system in which taxpayers comply with their tax obligations without intervention from tax officials, requires developing modern approaches to audits based on risk management. The impact of audits critically depends on a properly designed audit selection strategy focused on high-risk taxpayers to provide the most cost-effective outcome. This, in itself, contributes to promoting voluntary compliance. Risk-based country audits: approaches and country experiences are an important study of this critical revenue function of compliance management."--Publisher's website.

Building on previous FAD work in the tax administration field, this paper defines broad criteria for diagnosing the problems in a country’s tax administration and formulating an appropriate reform strategy. To be effective, this strategy should be based on the size of the tax gap and the country’s particular circumstances. This paper discusses some guiding principles which have provided the basis for successful reforms, including: reducing the tax system’s complexity, encouraging taxpayers’ voluntary compliance, differentiating the treatment of taxpayers by their revenue potential, and ensuring the reform’s effective management. Also discussed are specific bottlenecks that hinder the effectiveness of the tax administration’s operations.

The Tax Administration Management Information System (TAMIS) Tool Kit was developed with the objective of guiding and helping tax agents in developing countries undertake a holistic transformation of tax administration using information and communication technology. The tool kit provides guidance on key activities any tax agency should undertake in introducing TAMIS in various stages---including diagnostic assessment, prioritization of target taxes and services, implementation approaches, and monitoring and evaluation framework.

This paper addresses core challenges that all tax administrations face in dealing with noncompliance—which are now receiving renewed attention. Long a priority in developing countries, assuring strong compliance has acquired greater priority in countries facing intensified revenue needs, and is critical for fairness and statebuilding. Series: Policy Papers

Modern tax administrations seek to optimize tax collections while minimizing administration costs and taxpayer compliance costs. Experience shows that voluntary compliance is best achieved through a system of self-assessment. Many tax administrations have introduced self-assessment principles in the income tax law but the legal authority is not being consistently applied. They continue to rely heavily on “desk” auditing a majority of tax returns, while risk management practices remain largely underdeveloped and/or underutilized. There is also plenty of opportunity in many countries to enhance the design and delivery of client-focused taxpayer service programs, and better engage with the private sector and other stakeholders.

In response to a number of large corporate failures, risk management has recently become a major consideration for most organizations. At the same time, taxation has been recognized as an area having its own unique risk profiles. This book provides a practical guide for those working in today's ever-changing corporate environment. It contains an introduction to tax risk management and discussions on the tax control framework that allow corporate tax departments to identify and manage companies' tax-related risks. The book also includes country chapters, which provide practical examples of the development and application of tax control frameworks.

The Fund has long played a lead role in supporting developing countries’ efforts to improve their revenue mobilization. This paper draws on that experience to review issues and good practice, and to assess prospects in this key area.