The programme of enterprise applied for collection: Benefits for many sides

Customs officials of Bien Hoa Customs Branch – Dong Nai Customs Department instructed enterprise to implement procedures. Photo: N.Hiền

Ultilities for enterprises

From the end of October of 2017, General Department of Vietnam has implemented the "Online tax payment scheme 24/7". This is a form of payment of taxes and other payables through the customs electronic payment portal conducted by the commercial bank in coordination with the General Department of Vietnam Customs. Guaranteeing speed, safety,? and accuracy, online tax payment and customs clearance 24/7 has received the attention and response of the business community after more than two years of implementation.

To meet the need of carrying out customs procedures anytime - anywhere - on all devices and the need of exploitation and use of information of people and enterprises implementing import and export procedures, the General Department of Vietnam Customs upgraded and expanded the online tax payment 24/7 and implemented the enterprise applied for collection programme.

Currently, businesses can apply three payment methods for import and export duties: direct payment at the bank, online tax payment 24/7, participating in the enterprise applied for collection program. Thereby, the rate of import-export enterprises paying electronic taxes via banks would reach nearly 100 percent.

According to the Import-Export Duty Department, participating in the enterprise applied for collection programme, the benefits that enterprises could get were updated and processing automatically on the portal. They only registered once to participate in the programme and authorise to debit with the bank that held the account without having to perform any steps on the system of Customs as well as the bank. They would be paid tax, clear goods automatically. Enterprises would completely be proactive and not have to spend time and money to pay taxes. The tax payment and cargo clearance would be performed automatically without the intervention of businesses and customs officials; andwould not affected by the system, the network connecting enterprises with the portal of customs authority.

At the same time, enterprises did not have to pay in advance immediately after declaration, so they have time to plan capital. The bank would only deduct money from the enterprise's account after the enterprise has completed customs procedures, and determined the exact amount that was needed to submitted, then the cargo would be automatically cleared.

This programme also supported enterprises to carry out import and export procedures at sub-border gates, trails and openning roads which did not have branches of banks/treasuries, without internet to conduct online tax payment tax. Besides that, the programme of enterprise applied for collection would open an automatic electronic payment channel for enterprises so they would have more choice which was appropriate with business requirements and their finances for selection.

However, according to the representative of the Import and Export Duty Department, with the method of payment by applied for collection of enterprise, the enterprise may register to authorise only one account at a single commercial bank for a fixed time in order to ensure the automatic processing of the system, as well as the management of the bank in the authorisation to debit accounts.

A breakthrough step in revenue collection

Besides benefits for businesses, according to the representative of the Import and Export Duty Department, the Customs authorities were no longer waiting for enterprises to pay taxes. They could transfer requests of enterprises to banks which had authorised enterprises' accounts to pay tax debts and implement customs clearance immediately for businesses, reducing time. At the same time, thoroughly overcome the errors of both enterprises and Customs while declaring tax payments.

In addition, banks participating in the programme would also increase services and electronic transactions, which would help attract more customers to participate in paying taxes and other revenues to the State budget.

The representative of the Import and Export Duty Department emphasised, with the goal of facilitating for businesses, reducing time for tax payment, and clearing goods immediately after paying tax, reducing time of completing customs procedures for import-export goods of businesses to the average level of ASEAN-4 under the direction of the Government, the programme of enterprises applied for collection would be a breakthrough in the State revenue collection.