Difficulty in collecting tax arrears!

(Baonghean)Right from the beginning of the year, 5 targets for collecting tax arrears were assigned to the Tax Department's Divisions and branches, considering this a key task. However, according to the Tax Department, by the end of the year, it will be difficult to complete the target of collecting arrears, that is, keeping the tax arrears level not exceeding 5% of the budget revenue.

From the beginning of the year, it was forecasted that there would be many difficulties in budget collection, because the Tax sector had assigned 5 targets for tax debt collection to each tax officer in charge and the branches, namely: Total tax debt by December 31, 2012 must not exceed 5% of the 2012 budget revenue estimate; Reduce 100% of debt awaiting adjustment by December 31, 2011; Reduce 50% of debt awaiting settlement by December 31, 2012 compared to December 31, 2011; Collect 80% of debts in the group of tax debt up to 90 days and over 90 days; The rate of tax payment extension applications resolved within the prescribed time limit is 90% or more. At the same time, the Tax Department issued Official Dispatch No. 616/CT-QLN requesting tax branches to establish interdisciplinary inspection teams in districts, cities and towns on debt collection.



Tax authorities inspect tax law compliance at Vinh market. Photo: PV

Assessing the implementation of debt collection targets up to June 30, 2012, Mr. To Hong Hai - Deputy Director of Nghe An Tax Department said: Despite great efforts, the set targets could not be completed by the end of the year.

Regarding efforts to collect outstanding debts, 16 tax branches including Vinh, Nam Dan, Quynh Luu, Do Luong, Thanh Chuong, Anh Son, Tan Ky, Nghia Dan, Ky Son, Cua Lo, Nghi Loc, Thai Hoa, Hung Nguyen, Quy Hop, Quy Chau, Que Phong... advised the People's Committees of districts, cities and towns to establish 25 interdisciplinary inspection teams to inspect and urge the collection of outstanding tax debts and fines. As a result, the interdisciplinary inspection teams at the branches conducted inspections at 525 enterprises, units and business households. The amount of tax debts and fines collected through inspections was 46.5 billion VND.

There are 4 branches that have advised the District and City People's Committees to establish a Steering Committee for tax debt collection headed by the Vice Chairman of the District People's Committee, including: Vinh City Branch, Do Luong, Quy Chau, and Ky Son.

The branches actively and synchronously implemented debt collection measures. By July 1, 2012, the branches had collected 108.2 billion VND/209.1 billion VND receivable, reaching 51.7% of the plan. Late payment penalties were imposed on 7,608 cases with the amount of 13,382 million VND. The Tax Department issued 276 decisions on compulsory tax collection in 276 cases and collected 11,476 million VND.

To enforce, the branches have withdrawn from the taxpayers' commercial bank accounts the amount of 122,550 million VND. Vinh Tax Branch has withdrawn from the bank accounts of enterprises to collect 2.9 billion VND of outstanding debt, Quynh Luu Tax Branch has withdrawn from customers' accounts to collect 6.83 billion VND, Do Luong Tax Branch has collected 564.7 million VND from accounts... At the Department's Office, the total amount of tax debt collected as of July 1, 2012 is 453.1 billion VND, of which the total debt receivable from 2011 is 305.9 million VND. The amount of debt collected from 2011 is 78%.

Mr. Vo Van Giam - Head of Debt Management and Tax Enforcement Department said: There are many difficulties in tax debt collection. Implementing Resolution 11/CP, many enterprises have encountered difficulties, unable to disburse, so they are unable to pay taxes, especially the construction and development enterprises. Some enterprises such as: Sea Dredging Company 2, Vinh Vegetable Oil Company, Vinh Tobacco Factory have a lot of debt, but before the merger, the province suspended the debt pending settlement, but now it is still not settled, so the debt is "suspended". The number of bankrupt, dissolved, and inactive enterprises has increased, so the tax collection in general and tax debt has also increased. However, the amount of tax arrears collected is also the highest ever, showing that the debt collection work is very aggressive.

In the first 6 months of the year, the Tax Department has implemented the most drastic debt collection measures ever. In addition to 25 inspection teams from the districts, the Tax Department also advised the province to establish 3 interdisciplinary inspection teams including: Police, Finance, Tax... to inspect 164 enterprises with procrastination, large tax arrears and debts over 90 days. The 3 inspection teams of the province carried out the task until December 31, 2012, and have so far inspected 84 enterprises, collecting 67.2 billion VND in tax arrears. The results of tax arrears collection show that this is a drastic effort by all levels of government.

Up to now, the total tax debt of the whole industry is still nearly 728 billion VND, this debt compared to December 31, 2011 increased by 48.4 billion VND. Compared to the target assigned by the General Department of Taxation, the current tax debt is still 6.5 times higher. Therefore, tax collection in the last 6 months of the year is still heavy. In that situation, Nghe An Tax Department directed the implementation of debt collection measures: Paying attention to evaluating civil servants through tax debt collection targets; Seriously handling late tax payment penalties, implementing debt collection measures, resolutely applying coercive measures, applying information technology to tax debt collection, directing inspection teams to operate effectively, implementing Resolution 13/CP well...

Chau Lan