Cabinet strengthens management of Tax Authorities | News item

The government is reinforcing the management of the Tax Authorities to improve the services of one of the largest executive organizations. The Surcharges and Customs sections are separated from the rest of the Tax Authorities. Minister Hoekstra (Finance) today informed the House of Representatives in a letter about the changes.

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“As one of the largest public administrators in the Netherlands, the Tax and Customs Administration has a substantial and extensive social mission,” says Hoekstra. “In the performance of these tasks by the Tax Authorities, citizens and companies meet with the government and the basis is laid for the trust placed in the Tax Authorities. A modern and effective Tax Authorities are an absolute precondition for the proper performance of these crucial tasks. Various important steps have already been taken in recent years. We reinforce these with these additional steps. “

Strengthen official management

The steering changes, starting at the top. Customs and Surcharges are parts of the Tax and Customs Administration that are going to be unbundled, in order to eventually place these as independent parts within the Ministry of Finance. Three new Directors-General are appointed for Surcharges, Customs, and the Tax Authorities (incl. FIOD). They will arrange further unbundling together. In the short term, the three positions are, where necessary, filled on an interim basis. This puts an end to the integral responsibility of the current Director-General for the entire tax authorities and puts an end to his duties.

Accelerate and intensify management information and the Tax Telephone

Good management information is crucial to being able to make the right decisions. An intensification and acceleration in bringing management information in order is therefore necessary.

The Tax Telephone is also not doing well enough, despite additional capacity in the past year. An external party is therefore asked how a fundamental transformation can be achieved at the Tax Telephone in order to better and more effectively address citizens and businesses.

Culture

A culture with an eye for the human dimension and a safe working environment is of great importance. That is why culture has been made the fourth pillar of Controlled Innovation and the existing culture program has been intensified and expanded. This includes development assessments for managers at the Tax Authorities and the appointment, later this month, of two independent staff council members. With these personnel council persons, past and present abuses can be reported to the Tax Authorities by every employee.

Given the large package of responsibilities of a State Secretary for Finance and the changes that are needed, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance will consult with the chairmen of the coalition fractions to see how the political direction on the Tax Authorities will take shape.

Some of the above necessary changes to sustainably improve the Tax Authorities can be realized in the short term. At the same time, other components will take years.