Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (DTCA) “Although we cannot make it more fun, we can make it easier for you.” Arjan Hoeffnagel Communication Advisor.

Dutch Tax and Customs Administration (DTCA)

“Although we cannot make it more fun, we can make it easier for you.”

Arjan Hoeffnagel

Communication Advisor DTCA

Budapest, 28/29 november 2008

Build up

1. Short introduction DTCA and Department

Corporate Communications

2. Communication policy

3. Best practices Corporate communications:

1. Restitution Youth campaign

2. Introduction Care Insurance law

4. Personal observations…

DTCA

• A short introduction…

Structure of the Ministry of Finance

Organisation chart

Core tasks

• Assessing and collecting taxes for

central government

• Issuing income-related benefit payments

• Investigating fiscal, economic and

financial fraud

• Supervising the import, export and

transit of goods

Types of national taxes in the Netherlands

• Private persons:

• Income tax

• Property tax

• Inheritance tax

• Vehicle Holder’s

tax

• Entrepreneurs:

• Turnover tax

• Corporation tax

• Profit tax

• VAT

• Environment tax

Benefits

• DTCA is responsible for the

implementation of income-related

schemes, known as ‘benefits’

• These benefits provide for allowances

that households may obtain towards the

costs of childcare, rent or healthcare

• Over 6 million households receive a

benefit

Customs

• Customs checks good flows for

compliance with Dutch and European

legislation

• Customs carries out non-fiscal tasks in

area’s of Security, Health, Economics

and Environment

• Customs uses the latest techniques and

electronic risk analyses

The Administration’s voice: TaxLine

• The TaxLine is the unit of the Tax

Administration that people can contact

with questions

• TaxLine also answer questions

regarding Customs

• About 16 million calls a year.

Figures 2006 (in millions)

• Benefits paid out: 6.2

• Tax declarations: 4.8

• Tax assessments: 9.7

• Tax returns: 4.1

• Calls to TaxLine: 15.9

• Cars registered: 9.2

• Staff in FTE: 29.750

• Expenses paid: 2.760

billion

Centre for Professional Development and Communication

• The centre supports and advises the

Administration in three area’s:

• Communication to the public

• Teaching and informing the staff

• Personnel and organisational development

Organisation Communication

• Approximately 300 employees working in

internal and external communication of the

Tax and Customs Administration

• Press information central at Ministry of

Finance

Corporate Communication

• Corporate communication supports the primary process

• Supported by publicitycampaignes, materials of enlightenment (brochures, leaflets, internet, callcenter, forms etcetera)

Department Corporate Communication

• 15 Communication advisors

• Advice internal and external

• Communication matters

• Develop mass media campaigns

• Design, develop and manage the intranet and

internet www.Belastingdienst.nl

• Develop forms and documents

• Design of new returns, brochures, leaflets,

envelops and so on

• Daily news

Government Communication

• Communication policy based on this

• Right to information (art. 110

Constitution)

• Actively disclose government

information

• Providing information should be

comprehensible, timely, focussed and

not superfluous

Government Policy: Easy

• Tax relief for citizens and companies

• Minimum of administrative actions

• Starting point: citizen only has to

provide information to the government

once

• Government exchanges information

amongst itself

Compliance…

Citizens/companies are burdened by:

• Long waiting periods

• Cumbersome procedures

• Mistakes by payment (extra) allowances

• Mistakes by processing assessment

• Complicated processes

• Cause: complexity of the ICT

• Risk: compliance reduction

Simplification plan

• Goal: offer citizens and companies

better and faster service when they

follow up on their obligations

• Communication policy supports this

goal of compliance

Communication policy

The communicationpolicy of DTCA is to

deliver a contribution to the willingness

of taxpayers to the obligation of paying

tax (compliance).

This means: information available on

time, correctly and complete.

Desired image

• Taxpayer experience DTCA as careful,

reliable, responsible and - if necessary –

severe

• Enlarge compliant behaviour through a

positive image

But…

• Relationship with DTCA will not be

realized only through tv-commercials,

radio, internet, ads in newspapers but

even more in personal contacts by

phone, inspections, letters, taxforms

and – documents and so on…

• Employees are of vital importance for a

positive image

Strengthen image

• All our means of communications deepen or confirm this wished image and will be tested on expected image-effects

• DTCA can’t control it’s own image fully • Internal communication plays a major

roll in this case

Pay-off

• “Tax and Customs: Although we cannot make it more fun, we can make it easier for you.”

Communication policy

• Until ‘70 imageis unimportant to Tax and

Customs Administration

Communication policy

• Citizen starts to demand good service

Communication strategy

• Positioning the DTCA as a service oriented

organization with a more friendly face

• Start campaign with pay-off “Although we

cannot make it more fun, we can make it

easier”

New concept

• Concept provides little room for messages

other than for the private person

• Pay-off maintained

• Tax payer central in communication

• Tone more objective & business like

The window concept (1)

• Standard form to enlarge recognizability

• DTCA positioned as ‘service providing

judicial maintenance’

• Proposition: DTCA provides clarity and

security

• Due to cost economy much of

communication is efficiency based:

internet etc.

The window concept (2)

• Tax payer central

• But: too distant, no univocity, every time

a different concept, few internal

connections

• Unfit for extra allowances

2004

• Start thinking of re-positioning DTCA

Conclusions brainstorm sessions

• Though automatic character DTCA distance

enlarged

• Current way of campaigning does not reduce

the distance

• Work is not from a thought

• Co-workers have little feeling for

‘advertising’

A new direction…

• Assignment: make DTCA more personal,

enlarge connection with campaign,

• Campaign should be applicable for all

elements: Tax service, (extra)

Allowances and Customs

A new concept

• ‘Easy’ is given a new impuls and

becomes leading for the new campaign

• New ‘proposition’: ‘We of the DTCA are

constantly working to make the

necessary interaction with us as easy as

possbile for you’

New massa media concept

Allowances campaign

• Tv (4 commercials)

• Radio

• Print (magazines, dagbladen en h-a-h-

bladen)

• Dag-tv

• Banners

• Outdoor (abri’s, busreclame,

schoolcards)

• Below the line

Return Youth Campaign

• Make Tax payers aware of their fisical

obligations but also on their rights

• To few youth make use of the refund

regulation

• How can the DTCA make sure that the

youth apply for refunding of surplus

paid salary taxes?

Image

• Association with DTCA: problems,

paying bills and fuss

• Overcome thresholds with Youth

Target Group

• Young people of 15 to 17 years of age

having had a holiday or part-time job

and have paid surplus salary taxes

(source: market research office).

Objective

• Make sure the youth in 2007 request

10% more Tj-forms

– Average is currently 100.000 forms

(2006)

Communication strategy

• Emphasize ‘receiving’

• Internet most important medium

• Youth sites (Eg sugababes.nl, spunk.nl)

• TV-spots op TMF (‘The power of Tj’)

• Radio538, FunX

Planning implementation

• Use of media and means during

September - October 2007

Results

• In total 120.000 Tj-forms have been

requested

– Increase of 19%

– Based on campaign period

Evaluation

• During campaign period Tj-form 17.000

times requested

– Increase of 553%(!)

• Source: market research organisation

for youth

• Youth brought into movement

Health Care Insurance Act• On 1 January 2006, the Health Care

Insurance Act entered into force. Anyone who is insured under the Exceptional Medical Expenses Act will be obliged to take out basic insurance with a care insurer.

• In addition to the nominal premium, every person obliged to take out insurance has to pay an income-related contribution. The Tax and Customs Administration has been designated as the administration agency imposing and collecting the income-related contribution.

Motive

• Demographic ageing of teh population

• Increase of number of medical

treatments

• Increase of need for care

• Care increasinly more expensive,

ultimately too expensive

Target groups

• Citizens/people obliged to insurance

• Health insurers

• Care providers

• Employers(-organisations)

• Employees(-organisations)

Main streams communication

• Mass media campaigns

• Door-to-door newspapers/special

interest magazines

• Two websites on internet

• Mailing door-to-door (letter +

newspaper)

Communication objectives

• Knowledge: 90% of the target group

knows the health care insurance law is

to be implemented

• Attitude: 60% of the target group is

moderately positive towards this

implementation

• Behaviour: 80% of the health insurers

contribute actively to the customer

information on the implementation and

consequences of the law

Communication strategy

• Integrated communication

• Convenience (timely information)

• Emphasize attention and information

• Target group oriented approach

• Mass media campaigns

Communication means

• Via internet (all target groups can find

information here)

• Mass media information (radio, tv, print,

telephone)

• Series of articles in door-to-door

newspapers

• Free publicity

• Via branche and umbrella organisations

Planning implementation

• Introduction on 1 Januari 2006

• As from spring 2005 until spring 2006

• Timing:

– Phase 1: global information to society

– Phase 2: global information per partie

involved

– Phase 3: specific information per partie

involved

Bottle necks

• Cooperation Ministry of VWS (Health,

Welfare and Sports)

Many parties involved/consulted

• Difficult message for DTCA

• Communication with those unable to

take care of themselves

Research

• Perceptions monitor (monthly)

• Monitoring of date PO BOX 51, websites

and letters citizens

• Pre-tests

• Effect research

Results

• Implementation results in few problems,

partly due to extensive campaigns of

health insurers

• Internal and external communication went

well

Personal observations…

• Fragmentation of communication function

• Lack of integral policy

• Attention for communication at the end of

a process

• Position/task Center for Professional

Development and Communication

• Thank you for your attention and good

luck with your education in government

communication!