Business in Moldova demands to reduce the duration of tax audits and change the approach to assessing the effectiveness of the STS.
A meeting of the working group on reforming the system of tax and post-customs control was held on the platform of the Economic Council under the Prime Minister. It was attended by representatives of the State Tax Service (STS), Customs Service, and business community. The participants stated that the main difficulties in the field of tax control are related to the large number of unannounced inspections, as well as the lack of proportionality in the duration of inspections, frequency of inspections and methods in assessing the risk and potential damage. During the discussions, it was suggested to set a certain frequency of annual visits to the same person, including the exclusion of the possibility of temporary suspension of state control. Another proposal is to establish clear and precise rules regarding the grounds for determining the term of control and extension of control. Deputy Director of the State Tax Service (STS) Valeriu Vlas noted that the average duration of a tax audit is 15 days, while the legislation allows up to 60 days. However, the meeting participants disagreed with him, saying that audits sometimes last even beyond the limit allowed by law. Another important topic raised was the need to include in the legislation the requirements for STS to conduct control in accordance with checklists. This is due to the fact that today the control is not always clear, the actions of the inspector are less predictable, in the absence of certain procedural restrictions, including the lack of detailed checklists. The representative of the State Tax Service supported this proposal. The proposal was also voiced to revise the procedure for assessing the activities of the STS and indicators of its effectiveness. It was noted that today the STS in determining the effectiveness is guided by indicators based on the "effectiveness of control" - control that generates income. Business suggests that the STS should focus on stimulating voluntary compliance with tax laws and on reducing the burden on bona fide economic agents. Let us remind that, the reform of the system of state control over business activity is being implemented in 2023-2024, it is being promoted with the support of the business community, members of the Economic Council, representatives of government agencies and donor organizations. // 08.09.2023 - InfoMarket
