Enterprises urged to involve more in tax reform

Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – A workshop on improving business environment via reforming tax policy was held in Hanoi on June 21, but few enterprises attended to present their opinions.

Nguyen Thi Cuc, President of Tax Consultancy Association, recognised the tax sector’s efforts to reform tax procedures.

However, she said taxpayers are still facing many problems in observing tax laws, partly due to the rapid reform of policy but infrastructure and database have failed to catch up.

In addition, small- and medium-sized enterprises have yet to gain timely access to favourable revised tax policies.

The General Department of Tax underlined its reform including the simplification of forms and use of receipts.

It reported that as of December 31, 2015, 98.95 percent of enterprises filed their tax online and 92 percent of enterprises registered to pay tax online

At the workshop, the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) cited results of a 2014 survey which showed around half of respondents said that there is easy access to legal documents, laws and policies on tax. Another 79 percent affirmed tax administrative procedures are available or easy to find.

Meanwhile, 70 percent of responding enterprises in the survey said they encounter difficulties learning about legal policies and laws. Most of them send questions to the provincial Departments of Tax and 77 percent of them found answers satisfied.

Pham Ngoc Thach, from the VCCI’s Legal Department, said the survey asked nearly 10,000 enterprises and received feedback from 2,500 enterprises or equal to 27 percent, mostly directors and chief accountants.-VNA