[2020 National Tax Administration Forum] Exploring the Role of National Tax Administration to Strengthen the Foundation of Faithful Tax Payment

Response to Abnormal Gift Transactions, Improvement of Duplicate Tax Audits, Discussion on Support Measures for Honest Reporting by Small Taxpayers

At the 2020 National Tax Administration Forum, Kim Dae-ji, Commissioner of the National Tax Service, and other attendees are taking a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwangho Lee] The National Tax Service (NTS) announced that the '2020 National Tax Administration Forum,' jointly hosted by the National Tax Administration Reform Committee and the Korea Institute of Public Finance, and sponsored by the NTS, was held online on the 16th.

Marking its 10th year, this forum focused on the theme of 'The Role and Tasks of National Tax Administration to Expand the Basis of Voluntary Tax Payment.' Experts from academia, media, government, and related organizations participated to deeply discuss policy measures to better support voluntary and sincere tax payment amid the rapidly changing tax environment.

Until now, the National Tax Administration Forum had been mainly operated by academia and tax experts due to spatial constraints, with limited participation from taxpayers and the general public, who are the ultimate beneficiaries of national tax administration. Therefore, this year’s forum was held online utilizing IT and digital technologies.

The forum proceedings were broadcast live through the NTS YouTube channel, and a total of 20 individuals who have contributed to the development of national tax administration, ranging from economic, civic, and academic organization representatives to exemplary taxpayers and national tax officials, were selected to attend online.

In his opening remarks, Chairperson Ilsang Lee of the National Tax Administration Reform Committee stated, "Our economy is facing an unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, and structural changes including digital transformation are accelerating, significantly altering the future landscape surrounding national tax administration." He emphasized, "We will continue to rigorously diagnose these changes and devise responsive measures to firmly support voluntary tax payment."

He added, "In this regard, we must actively respond to irregular gifts exploiting legal loopholes," and urged, "Please seek effective measures that encompass protecting taxpayers' predictability and the demand for equitable taxation."

Yuchan Kim, President of the Korea Institute of Public Finance, said in his congratulatory speech, "Even at this time when both citizens and companies are tightening their belts to overcome the COVID-19 economic crisis, evasion and irregularities continue." He stressed, "Fair and equitable tax base management is necessary for the majority of citizens who faithfully fulfill their tax obligations despite difficulties."

He also stated, "In this context, the topics discussed at this forum are very timely, and we ask for multifaceted policy measures to further strengthen the tax base, which is the foundation of national finances."

Daiji Kim, Commissioner of the National Tax Service, said in his greeting, "As the National Tax Administration Forum marks its 10th anniversary this year, I hope it will be an opportunity to prepare new strategies for national tax administration suitable for the changed era and to lead future advancement." He evaluated, "Expanding the basis of voluntary tax payment is a very meaningful topic as the NTS is fully committed to taxpayer-friendly innovation."

He further expressed, "In operating national tax administration, the protection of taxpayers' rights and the value of tax justice must harmonize, and improving reporting support systems focusing on small taxpayers is also an urgent task."

The NTS plans to carefully review the various improvement suggestions discussed at this forum, actively reflect feasible matters in policies, and for legislative amendments, actively consult with related ministries such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance. Matters requiring social consensus will be prudently reviewed through gathering opinions from policy stakeholders before proceeding.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.