IOTA Forum on Communication "Communication Culture and Tax Administration's Image: How to Increase Reputation and Engagement"

After some exciting days of exchanging knowledge, and exploring new internal communication strategies, campaigns, and initiatives, we hope all Forum participants returned home with fresh ideas and new perspectives.

In modern times, tax administration communication strategies are emphasising the importance of creating an inclusive communication culture within the organisation. This involves encouraging people to engage with each other, share information, and have productive conversations. The concept of communication culture affects all levels of the organisation/administration, and the Communication Departments/Units need to guarantee a consistent communication approach throughout the entire organisation. On the first day of the event, the presentations showcased a wide variety of initiatives and explored strategies for building a positive and healthy communication culture in a tax administration. The following IOTA tax administrations covered this matter:

• United Kingdom: “Your colleagues are your greatest asset: how we have encouraged an open and encouraging communication culture with the aim of delivering HMRC’s strategic objectives” co-presented by Claudine Munro-Lafon & Helen Hartley;
• Slovakia: “Formalities Aside - Internal Podcast Connecting Employees” presented by Daniel Sukup;
• Norway: “Can social media at work strengthen the Communication culture of the Organisation?” presented by Jan Ove Nilsen;
• Bosnia and Herzegovina: “Communication culture - digital and f2f” presented by Dženan Kovačević;
• Sweden: “The Swedish Tax Agency's transition towards becoming a communicative organization” presented by Helene Larsson;
• Belgium: “Youth and taxes - the first relationships with the FPS Finance” presented by Samuel Bury

On the second day of the event, presentations focused on the role of Tax Communication Departments in internal communication within organisations. The discussions also covered strategies for linking internal and external communications to improve information flow within tax administrations. The session featured speakers from Lithuania, Belgium, Austria, and Moldova, providing in-depth insights into this topic.

• Lithuania: “Effective communication. How to achieve it?” presented by Rūta Asadauskaitė;
• Belgium: “FPS Finance's journey towards a dynamic communication culture and employer excellence” presented by Inge Mattens;
• Austria: “Tackling the challenges of the growing variety and pace in internal and external communication through technology and behavioural insights interventions” co-presented by Martina Ressmann & Werner Handler-Brosch;
• Moldova: “Effective communication - the cornerstone of voluntary compliance” presented by Adrian Platon (joined online)

Improved communication culture also benefits the reputation of tax administrations, increasing their visibility and publicity among taxpayers, young generations, and key stakeholders. This requires a better understanding of taxpayer expectations and the development of new communication tools to strengthen the reputation and attractiveness of a tax administration. The plenary session during the latter half of the second and the third day of the Forum featured numerous presentations from IOTA member countries, including Finland, Denmark, Ireland, Norway, Italy, and France.

• Finland: “Reputation is not a communications effort alone: engaging tax specialists in enhancing the reputation” presented by MatleenaPio;
• Denmark: “Rebuilding reputation: Tax administration employees as a key element in campaigns to increase compliance and trust” presented by Christian Rydal Kirkebæk;
• Ireland: “Bridging the Gap: Targeted Communications to Enhance Voluntary Compliance among PAYE Taxpayers” presented by Dan Oosthuizen;
• Norway: “The Norwegian Tax Administration open AI policy” presented by Bente Karmann Tranberg;
• Italy: “Italian Revenue Agency’s integrated actions to increase communication culture and change external perception” presented by Giulia Marconi (joined online);
• France: “Nobody else but you” presented by Daniel Baldaia

On the third day of the event, there was an open debate led by the Steering Group Members of the Forum on Communication, including Bente Karmann Tranberg (Norway), Terhi Kartuunen (Finland), Rūta Asadauskaitė (Lithuania), and Florence Angelici (Belgium). The debate focused on the next steps for mitigating reputational risks and exploring opportunities in the field of internal communications. During the last session of the Forum, participants discussed the main benefits of the event, evaluated their initial expectations, and offered ideas for advancing the subject in the future. Throughout the event, there was a mix of presentations and group discussion sessions, and participants actively engaged with questions and shared their thoughts during the Q&A sessions.

All the materials, presentations, and photos are now available online on the event’s webpage and the event recordings will be made available soon. The event was led by the IOTA Communication Specialist Erika Szabo with support from her colleague, the IOTA International Taxation Expert Massimo Morarelli.