Drastically carrying out the task of tax collection right from the first days of the year

	In the last two months of 2019, the tax industry must finish collecting at least 204 trillion dong
	Tax collection from business section increases by 13.6 percent
	Over 580,000 business households will be in Tax authorities’ list

Minister DinhTien Dung speaking at the Conference. Photo: TL.

Operate effectively afterorganising the apparatus

Sharing at the conference, Minister Dinh Tien Dung said that at the 2019 Review Conference and implementing the task of solutions in 2020, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc assessed that in 2019, the finance sector successfully and comprehensively completed assigned political missions. Accordingly, the finance sector successfully completed the task of collecting the State budget with total balance of revenue exceeding 9.8 percent of the estimate assigned by the National Assembly (exceeding VND 138 trillion) and the next year the revenue central and local budgets exceed estimates. At the same time, all 63/63 provinces and cities exceed the State budget revenue estimates in the area.

The minister said that the overall results of the finance sector achieved in the past 2019 were very important contributions of the General Department of Taxation.

In institutional development, the General Department of Taxation submitted to the ministry for submission to the National Assembly for approval of the Law on Tax Administration (amended), Resolution No. 94 of 2019 of the National Assembly on freezing tax arrears, writing off arrears and late payment interest, late payment interest for taxpayers unable to pay the State budget; submit to the Prime Minister for approval the Scheme on Expansion of the tax base and the prevention of erosion of State budget revenues; submit to the Ministry for promulgation six circulars amending and supplementing tax policies according to the Legal Policy Building Programme of the Ministry of Finance.

"These are very important documents for tax administration as well as creating favourable conditions for taxpayers to fulfill their tax obligations towards the State," Minister Dinh Tien Dung emphasised.

In management of State budget revenues, the General Department of Taxation has focused on organising the good implementation of tax laws and the fight against tax losses and collection of outstanding tax debts. It inspected and checked more than 96,000 cases, checked more than 517,000 tax records at tax authorities; proposed to handle some 64,500 billion VND. The General Department of Taxation has also recovered more than VND 35,200 billion of tax arrears into the State budget.

Thanks to that, the tax administration has achieved positive results. Total budget revenue in 2019 managed by the tax authority exceeded 9.3 percent over the estimate, up 11.2 percent over the same period in 2018. The central budget exceeded 1.2 percent of the estimate, an increase of 11.8 percent over the same period. At the same time, all 63 local tax departments have completed and exceeded the assigned estimates” the Minister emphasised the results of the taxation.

Minister Dung also assessed that in 2019, the tax sector has stepped up reform of administrative procedures and removed difficulties for businesses in accordance with Resolution 02 of the Government and the direction of the Prime Minister and Ministry of Finance.

Moreover, the organisation and streamlining of the apparatus has been drastically implemented by the General Department of Taxation. As of December 17, 2019, 433 tax offices were arranged and consolidated under 61 tax departments, down 227 tax departments. The number of remaining tax branches was 484, reducing 1,712 focal points while ensuring effective and smooth management of professional activities of tax agencies at all levels.

However, according to the Minister of Finance, in 2019, besides achieved results, the tax administration had some shortcomings and limitations that need to be overcome.

The minister cited an example that, there is still a State of revenue loss in some areas and regions such as: non-State economic sector, hotel services, restaurants, and e-commerce business, transfer pricing activities; the urging and management of outstanding tax debts have achieved certain results but outstanding tax debts remain high.

The minister also said that in the past year, the work of political and ideological education and maintaining discipline among tax officials has sometimes not been strictly implemented. There are still violations of tax officials, affecting the reputation and image of the industry. With these shortcomings, the minister proposed that the General Department of Taxation and tax agencies at all levels need solutions to overcome them in 2020.

Strictly perform discipline

According to the minister, 2020 is the last year to implement the five-year socio-economic development plan 2016-2020, preparing and creating momentum for the five-year plan 2021-2025 and the 10-year strategy 2021-2030, as well is the year to organise many events and commemorate big holidays, leading to the 13th National Party Congress of the Party in 2021.

The Minister said that at the review conference of the financial sector held on January 10, 2020, the Prime Minister made a speech to direct the finance industry to strive to exceed the State budget revenue by 5 percent compared to the National Assembly's estimate.

To accomplish this goal, Minister Dung requires the tax sector to perform well the State budget collection task in 2020 assigned by the National Assembly, the Government and the Prime Minister, striving to exceed at least 5 percent. The cost estimates comply with the Prime Minister's directing opinions. Along with that, in the first six months of 2020, the tax revenue must exceed 51 percent of the estimate, creating conditions for the whole year to exceed the estimate of 5 percent.

“To do this, from the beginning of the month and the beginning of the year, the tax industry needs to closely follow tasks and solutions assigned in the Government's Resolution No. 01 of 2020 on the main tasks and solutions for socio-economic implementation - State budget estimates in 2020 and action plan of the Ministry of Finance to formulate implementation plans and organise the immediate implementation of assigned tasks right from the first days and months of the year 2020. At the same time, tax officials and employees must strictly abide by the discipline and discipline, especially during Tet holiday," the minister said.

Also according to the minister, by 2020, the General Department of Taxation must develop and submit to competent authorities for promulgation guiding documents to organise the effective implementation of the amended Tax Administration Law and Resolution No. 94 of the National Assembly on freezing of tax arrears, writing off of fines for late payment interest, late payment interest for taxpayers who are no longer able to pay the State budget. At the same time, they must prepare necessary conditions to implement e-invoices according to Decree No. 119/2018/ND-CP of September 12, 2018 and Circular No. 68/2019/TT-BTC of September 30, 2019 of the Ministry of Finance on electronic invoices.

The Minister emphasised that the tax sector must promote the inspection, examination and combat of revenue loss and transfer pricing under the risk analysis method, especially taking measures against the loss of effective State budget revenues. Results for large businesses, catering services, hotels, restaurants, capital transfer activities and new types of businesses such as e-commerce transactions and informal business activities are important.

Tax offices must implement measures to urge the recovery of outstanding tax debts into the State budget, ensuring that by the end of 2020, maximum tax debt shall not exceed 5 percent of the total State budget revenue.

The minister tasked with the tax sector must strive in the first quarter of 2020 to complete the entire arrangement and consolidation of tax departments into regional tax departments in order to stabilise the organisation and personnel for the Party Congress.

Minister Dung emphasised that the tax sector must continue to thoroughly grasp and implement the resolutions, conclusions and directives of the central Government on strengthening the construction and adjustment of the Party; to prevent and reverse the decline in political, ethical and lifestyle ideologies, the manifestations of "self-evolution”, “self-transformation" internally, not to let the situation of "one scabby sheep is enough to spoil the whole flock”. At the same time, strictly implement conclusions and recommendations of inspection agencies, auditing agencies and Central Inspection Commission.

“2020 is the last year of the five-year socio-economic development plan and 5-year State budget 2016-2020, besides opportunities and advantages; there are still many difficulties and challenges. I am confident and sure that the General Department of Taxation and the tax authorities at all levels will unite, unite, strive and complete the assigned political tasks, together with the whole Finance sector, to successfully implement the Plan. socio-economic development and the State Budget in 2020 and the following years,” said Minister of Finance Dinh Tien Dung.