The vision of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is “To be recognized as a proactive, service-oriented, and accountable organization inspiring voluntary compliance through professional conduct and fairness.” The Department is guided currently by its Strategic Plan which runs from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2020. There are four high-level strategic goals for the three-year period with accompanying objectives.
Each staff member and each unit in the Department are aware of the goals and objectives which affect them and the ones for which they have primary responsibility. Everyone is working together to ensure the Department meets the stated strategic goals by the end of 2020. There have been significant progress in moving forward on each goal.
Goal 1 – Foster a customer centered focus
A customer centered focus is important and IRD has made strides towards achieving this goal. One of the objectives under this goal is to improve the Tax Payer Education Programme.The Inland Revenue Department has an active Facebook page where important tax dates, short educational videos, updates on what is new at the Department and much more are shared. All customers are encouraged to like the page – @AnguillaIRD.
The Department also has a radio programme “IRD For You” on Radio Anguilla, and the third week of every month, an IRD For You tax column is published in The Anguillian newspaper.
IRD also moved recently to the former National Bank of Anguilla (NBA) Building. This move is customer-focused because some of the revenue related departments are housed in this building. These include the Treasury Department and the Ministry of Finance. It creates a one stop shop kind of experience for customers in a larger, more comfortable space.
A very recent customer-focused initiative is the Drive Thru Service. Payments are accepted here for water bills, motor vehicle licences, police records and reports, written and road tests, learner’s permits, traffic tickets, property tax, dog licences, work permits, extension of stay and naturalization. Cheques, Cash and Visa and Master Credit and Debit cards are accepted. The Drive Thru is open Monday to Friday 8:30 am-1:00 pm. For greater efficiency each customer is limited to one transaction when using the Drive Thru Service.
Another customer-focused initiative is the Cheque Deposit Box. It is simple, convenient and fast. The goal is to reduce or negate customers having to wait in line. All that is required is for the customer to place their cheque and completed (signed) remittance forms into the drop box. Water bill payments are also accepted via this service. Payments received between the hours of 8:00 am and 3:00 pm are processed the same day. No cash payments are allowed. Receipts for persons who use the Cheque Deposit Box are mailed to the P.O. Box on file.
The Department has also hosted or used information from important meetings and consultations with stakeholders before making changes in taxes and procedures for Car Rental Operators, and for those in the accommodation sector affected by changes in the Marketing Levy and Accommodation Tax.
All the above initiatives have helped the Department to meet the objectives of improving education and awareness, strengthening and expanding the services provided to taxpayers, shifting services to E-services and engaging consumers in decisions regarding policy.
Goal 2 – Improve compliance with our tax laws (enforcement)
Voluntary Compliance is adhering to the law or paying your taxes without government involvement or coercion or threats. It is when someone chooses to pay their taxes or obtain a licence because they know it is the right thing to do. Taxes are one of the main ways Government raises money for public goods.
There are several things the Department is doing from both the compliance and audit perspective.
The Audit function focuses on under – reporting and tax evasion. That is, it focuses on making sure that what customers report and remit to the Department is accurate. The Audit function has been strengthened and the Audit Unit is now staffed with two competent auditors.
The Audit function is guided by legislation. The goal with the strategic plan is to create a robust and consistent system. Legislation provides support for the audit function when dealing with customers. Because things will be very clear and robust, this will ultimately lead to increased compliance.
The compliance and audit functions are complementary. Audit may be the first department to pick up an inconsistency. An investigation is then launched. If an entity has indeed under – reported, the bill is reassessed, and they are charged the difference. The Compliance Officers will work closely with Auditors to ensure the issue is fully resolved. Both units rely on third party information to do their job. IRD therefore works closely with Customs, Immigration, Lands and Surveys, Social Security etc. to increase compliance.
Our efforts in creating awareness of all the various taxes through our tax education programme are also helping us to fulfil the objectives under this strategic goal which includes cleansing the registration database, strengthening the audit programme and improving tracking of tax arrears.
Goal 3 – Continued investment in Information Communication Technology (ICT) to improve efficiency and effectiveness of IRD operations
The Inland Revenue Department recently signed a services and software license with Bearing Point Caribbean for the acquisition of new and innovative software. Bearing Point is an E-Public/Government Services Technology Provider with its headquarters located in Curacao, Dutch Caribbean. Similarly, Bearing Point and the Anguilla Social Security Board (ASSB) have also negotiated agreements. Over time, given the number of similarities in the customer base and the collection processes of the ASSB and the IRD, both institutions intend to collaborate to eliminate duplication of work and increase compliance and efficiency.
At the Inland Revenue Department, the software is expected to enhance our services to the public and create ease for those using it to meet customers’ needs. The system will be upgraded in phases with the first phase going live in January 2020 and the second phase going live in January 2021. The system will also allow for processing of certain payments online.
Goal 4 – Foster organizational renewal and an efficient, ethical and adaptive organization
The Department will be making changes in the organizational structure, so every staff member is better positioned to handle his/her responsibilities. Staff members are regularly updated using staff meetings and memos. Appropriate staff training is given priority at IRD. This helps to build the capacity of the staff to ensure they can perform duties assigned to them. The Department aims to ensure staff have access to tools to do their job. The switch over to the new software programme will empower staff even further. As mentioned earlier, we recently moved to a new location which is more spacious and comfortable for staff and thus, hopefully, will also encourage a more productive work environment.
The Inland Revenue Department would like to thank the General Public for their support and welcomes any suggestions for further improvements. For more information, please call (264) 497-8334 or email us at inlandrevenue@gov.ai. IRD For You – Making YOU Priority!
