Tax Administration Reform Commission (TARC) submitted its First report to the Finance Minister on 30th May 2014 (Dated 30th May, 2014)
Recommendations
In what follows, the TARC lists its main recommendations in the full belief that they can be instituted if the willpower exists at the top policy level. Such changes have occurred in other countries including the one that bequeathed India her prevailing bureaucratic structure that has seen its best days and has outlived itself. It is now time to confront what is bad and change it for the better to reflect the expectations of India’s new and future generations that have the desire to work and be productive rather than facing and combating high costs of compliance. Only recommendations that are desirable and doable along these lines are listed below. Also, the recommendations should be considered as a package and not on a pick-and-choose mode.
That would not work; it would be better to set aside the recommendations in toto and reconsider them at a future date when India may be ultimately ready to make serious changes that are needed but is not up to facing them as of now.
4.a Customer focus
A taxpayer is the entity that approaches the tax administration and thus comprises the latter’s customer. Yet the prevailing treatment of the taxpayer by the tax administration requires much to be improved in reflection of global practice. Customer Focus reform therefore is the first need. It comprises Chapter II and the first set of recommendations
The TARC recommends that:
- There should be a dedicated organisation for delivery of taxpayer services with customer focus for each of the Boards. There should be an exclusive Member in each Board for the taxpayer services. The taxpayer services vertical under each Board would be headed by an officer of the rank of Principal Chief Commissioner, who would be responsible for delivery of taxpayer services. This implies dedicated resources and personnel for this vertical. (Section II.6.c)
- Taxpayer service delivery will be located under one umbrella for large taxpayers, i.e., the CBDT and CBEC will jointly function for large taxpayers through Principal DG (LBS). For other taxpayers, i.e., medium and small, the operations of the CBDT and CBEC will continue in separate chains. (Section II.6.c)
- Officers and staff at all levels of tax administration should be trained for customer orientation. Further for people posted in this vertical, the training in customer focus need to be more specialized and intensive. This training should be appropriate to the areas in which such officers are deployed such as customer relationship, measurement of customer satisfaction, taxpayer education, etc. (Section II.6.a)
- In line with the international practice of spending 10-15 per cent of the administration’s budget, a minimum of 10 per cent of the tax administration’s budget must be spent on taxpayer services. At least 10 per cent of the budget for tax administration should be allocated and spent for ICT-based taxpayer services. (Section II.6.a)
- Sufficient funds must be allocated to conduct customer research including, in particular, on customer surveys. (Section II.6.b)
- In redressing taxpayer grievances, the decision of the Ombudsman should be binding on tax officers. To bring independence and effectiveness to the office of the Ombudsman, non-government professionals should also be inducted in the post. (Section II.6.b)
To Read More – Download First report of Tax Administration Reform Commission (TARC)
