The Fiji Revenue and Customs Authority yesterday shared with tax agents its new formal compliance improvement strategies.

FRCA acing chief executive, Visvanath Das, said the strategies that had been adopted relates to improving relationship with their major stakeholders with the intention of improving compliance.

“This strategy is targeted to strengthen the important role for accountants and tax agents to plan to improve compliance amongst their clients,” he said.

“We are going to enhance FRCA’S relationship with the accounting process providing them with better service and information on our products.

“With this, we achieve a decrease in returns outstanding and a decrease in taxpayer debts.

“FRCA aims to influence tax payer behaviour by demonstrating a willingness to educate and assistance those willing to compile and educate tougher approach for those who deliberately do not compile.”

Mr Das said there are three basic objectives that are the focus of improving relationship with accountants in relations to strategy compliance.

“These are encouraging the returns to be filed on time while returns are correct, all income declared and expenses correctly claimed and finally taxes paid on time,” he said.

Mr Das noted to achieve this objective, it was necessary to address outstanding issues such as overdue returns and taxes.

“Also, some returns may be incorrect and may need to be corrected through this compliance improvement strategies,” he said.

Mr Das said they have had a relationship with tax agents and it is not that it was too bad but there is always room for improvement and that is what they want to do.

“I think there has been so much asked when the government introduced the Gold Card tax payers services,” he said.

“The questions that came from you professionals was why aren’t any of the tax agents a member of the gold card?.”

Open communication

Mr Das believes open communication and setting the platform is really the way forward for them and is really working in partnership and strengthen the accountability.

“What FRCA should be responsible and mindful for in the relationship whereas you as tax agents what is our expectation of you in terms of compliances.

“It has always been that we have always used traditional tools and obviously this traditional tool tax bodies are very expensive way of accepting compliance.”