Read about Roman Nasirov’s election to head the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations
Aware of this, weare actively involved in the activities of international organizations, and the special place belongs to the Intra-European Organization of Tax Administrations, known as IOTA.
IOTA is a unique platform on which the representatives of the tax administrations of theEuropean region gather together. Today IOTA include 46 European tax administrations. At the same time representatives of international organizations, officials of the European Union, experts on tax issues are also involved in the organization’s events.
Ukraine is also an active
participant in the organization.
Our cooperation has
been continuous since 1999.
Since 2003, Ukraine
is an associate member of IOTA, and since 2006 – a full member of the organization.
Together with our colleagues we solve the most problematic issues
in the tax area. Because mostly all of us have the same problems – the fight
against tax fraud, improving compliance, electronization the processes,
exchange of information between tax administration and optimization services to
increased efficiency of their work. For Ukraine, membership in the IOTA reveals
wide opportunities, both in terms of inclusion in the European tax model and in
terms of access to international experience and knowledge. The State Fiscal Service team has a lot
of innovative ideas, but sometimes we just don`t have enough experience how to
implement them.
The 20th General
Assembly of IOTA was dedicated to electronic tax administration – “data driven
tax administration.” Topics included two areas – simplifying ways of obtaining
information and IT technologies that facilitate the administration of both the
tax authority and business.
For Ukraine this
anniversary meeting was significant. We have the right to preside in the IOTA
next year. For Ukraine, without exaggeration, it is a huge event. Next year our
country can get all the benefits of the meeting of the General Assembly, which,
under the rules, is held in the country of president of IOTA.
The presidency of the organization has a great
importance for both the tax administration and the whole country.
The next year
Ukraine will bring together the best experts and specialists in tax matters,
and our country will deliver a platform for exchange of experience among
European tax. We will become a center for the exchange of experience and
information that can be used for the improvement of local tax administration. IOTA activities include seminars, working groups,
forums on various actual issues of the tax field. In general, one plans to hold
20 such events. For us it is a great experience and responsibility. At the same
time granting to Ukraine the right to lead IOTA is evidence of the recognition of our country as a full member of the
European community, recognition of our experience and professionalism.
On the
other hand, we have something to show Europe. For example, after two days of communication with European colleagues,
we discovered that Ukrainian systems of e-administration of value-added tax and e-administration
of fuel sales are unique and some of the most modern in Europe.
We have progress also in the use of information technology, services
electronization, automation of processes and use of information as a basic tool
of administration, and now it is the main theme for all tax services. To
properly and effectively use all these developments, we certainly need
practice, but beyond that – advices and experience of other countries.
As the current president of IOTA, I see a number
of priorities for the next year: improving taxpayer compliance and tax
collection; developing taxpayer services and reducing the administrative burdens;
and reducing the tax administration cost base.
In addition, attention will focus on the development of the automatic
exchange of tax information and on the analysis of the data, what intends to
reduce the risks of tax fraud. For Ukraine this is really urgent issues. We are just implementing key BEPS recommendations – the plan of the Organization
for Economic Co-operation and Development to combat tax base erosion and
eliminate profit shifting, so any support doesn’t hurt us.
We support the
fruitful cooperation between the data center, IT departments and operational
staff of European agencies. I think this is a valid key to success in this
area. So the main purposes of the organization activity stay
the same – we`ll continue to pursue a course of deep cooperation between European
countries in the tax area and encouragement interagency cooperation.
