ANALYSIS
Tax Predictability & Clarity :
Interview with Public Revenue Office Director , Kiril Minoski
EM : Would you agree that companies working in Macedonia often unintentionally misapply tax rules ? How does the Macedonian Public Revenue Office ( PRO ) work today to help ensure tax predictability and clarity for businesses ?
KM : I can ’ t agree with this statement , especially considering that in recent years , the level of tax assistance that Public Revenue Office provides to businesses has increased a lot . We are very focused on proactive communication using different channels in order to provide the necessary tax information in a simple and userfriendly manner .
I want to emphasize the good cooperation established with business associates and other stakeholders , which is also very important . PRO provides continuous trainings for taxpayers , including tax accountants and their associations that play a key role when it comes to the proper application of current and new tax rules .
Having said all of this , I must also note that all of this assistance is provided in order to support the Macedonian tax system , which is simple compared to other countries ’ tax systems , and based on self taxation . Practice has shown that in order for new regulations to be implemented properly , there has to be sufficient time for preparation , both for companies and the tax administration . In this respect , if there are weaknesses arising from unclear tax rules or their misapplication , the first signs will appear in PRO work processes . In this respect , we are on the same side as taxpayers , when it comes to the clarity of the tax rules .
Our mission is to provide high quality services for taxpayers , streamlined tax procedures for timely and accurate compliance with obligations and just and efficient collection of taxes and other public levies . Transparency of tax procedures is crucial for tax predictability and clarity for businesses . Our strategic goal is taxpayers to have real-time access to all their tax data and PRO assessments , so they can take timely and correct action to comply with the tax rules . Re-engineering of PRO work processes is a necessity , including implementing a new IT system and introducing overall electronic communication with taxpayers , which will bring value for PRO and the whole Macedonian tax system in addition to ensuring tax predictability and clarity for businesses .
6 Spring 2016 Issue 49