IOTA Digital Forum on Communication “The Future of Tax Communication: Opportunities and Challenges in the Era of Digital Transformation”

Digital transformation has become increasingly integrated into tax administration, significantly altering how communication and public relations (PR) operate today. Recently, governments have been leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other digital tools to streamline operations and enhance public service delivery. The opportunities for improving tax administration's communication with the public through these technologies are no exception.

AI technologies, including machine learning and natural language processing, are assisting in automating routine communication tasks, optimising content for both mass and personalised campaigns, such as translation services, visuals creation, text summarization, and content structuring. They also enable real-time monitoring of communication metrics, such as engagement rates, audience reach, user interactions, and even sentiment analysis, and provide advanced data analytics to measure the impact of communication and PR efforts.

The event featured presentations from IOTA members in Azerbaijan, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, and the United Kingdom. Discussions centered on the concrete experiences, best practices, and initiatives that these IOTA member tax administrations plan to implement or have already undertaken to enhance their communication and PR operations through AI and other digital technology tools.

The first day focused on the application of AI technology and other advanced digital tools in tax communication and PR processes through various initiatives, campaigns, and AI policies. Speakers from Italy highlighted several key initiatives, including the Italian Revenue Agency's WhatsApp Channel and social media campaigns designed to improve taxpayer engagement. The digital communication strategies of the State Tax Service of Azerbaijan were also discussed. Finland's advanced use of AI technology implementation and Norway's established AI guidelines were recognised as significant milestones in the digital transformation of tax communications. Within this plenary session the following presentations were delivered:

• Italy: “The Italian Revenue Agency’s Communication: New Digital Tools to Create a Modern and Proactive Administration,” co-presented by Alessandra Gambadoro & Serena Filippi;
• Azerbaijan: “Managing Communication within the Framework of Digital Transformation,” presented by Ulkar Nabiyeva;
• Finland: “The Implementation of AI in Organizations: A New Role for Communication as a Supporter and Aligner of Usage,” co-presented by Jenni Anttila & Terhi Kartunnen;
• Norway: “AI Innovation in Tax Communication: From Guidelines to Practical Innovation - Project Mildrid and the Future of Customer Service,” presented by Hallvard Lavoll.

 The second day's focus was on utilising AI technology and digital tools in tax communication to foster taxpayer engagement. This virtual plenary session commenced with a presentation from France, followed by the United Kingdom, which covered how tax administrations can remain human-centric in a highly digitalised working environment. The presentations included:

• France: “Transforming Tax Communication: Leveraging AI and Digital Tools for Tax Compliance,” presented by Margaux Amiel & created by Clément Carrue;
• United Kingdom: "Digital Dialogues: How AI is Helping HMRC Be More Human,” co-presented by James Baker & Liam Hobbs.

This two-day digital forum featured a practical mix of presentations, interactive Q&A sessions, and group discussions, with each plenary session allowing for questions from participants. All materials, presentations, and video recordings are now accessible online on the event's webpage. The event was led by IOTA Communication Specialist Erika Szabó, with support from her colleague, IOTA International Taxation Expert Oksana Stepanenko.