Thursday 19 June 2014

Preface by Dr Parthasarathi Shome on first draft of Tax Administration Reform Comission (TARC) Report

Tax revenue yield is influenced by both tax policy and tax administration. While tax policy design ensures responsiveness of potential revenue to overall economic growth, tax base and tax rates, tax administration seeks to secure potential tax revenues effectively and efficiently.

It is because the two are inextricably linked that reform in tax administration is as important as that in tax policy. In India, tax policy reforms have been accelerated since the economic liberalization unveiled in 1991. But no comprehensive reform in tax administration was undertaken in the same depth.
Of course, changes in tax administration practices have occurred, albeit through a slow and incremental process reflecting the immediate requirements of the organization as opposed to much needed fundamental reform. 


The two administrative restructurings undertaken in 2001-02 and 2013-14, of the two Boards, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) and the Central
Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), were also aimed at expanding the tax administrations primarily by increasing tax assessment units, thereby giving more promotional avenues to officers and staff. But neither of the two restructurings was aimed at reorganizing the operations or their structures so as to make them oriented towards the needs of taxpayers.


Further, the restructurings have essentially stopped short of recognizing that direct and indirect tax services need to be delivered in a more synergistic manner so that there are gains for both taxpayers and the tax administration that should be buttressed by more rationalized enforcement activity, drawing upon information garnered from both direct and indirect taxes.


Even within indirect taxes, service tax and excise duties are dealt with by separate commissionerates under the CBEC even though both are consumption taxes. The tax administration in the above regard did not, by and large, keep the prevalent global practices in view, i.e., it was not a benchmarked approach. Such a non-intersecting approach continues through the current restructuring process. The restructurings, therefore, have lacked a reform flavour. Since the focus is almost entirely on the extent of revenue collection irrespective of
prevailing economic realities, any rise in collection could successfully mask the underlying need to fundamentally reform the tax administration. Indeed, the two tax administrations often attributed the gain in tax collection to the so-called restructuring.


What has been overlooked is that the impact of tax administration on revenue collection as opposed to the revenue gain due to economic growth needs to be separately recognized. The year-to-year high nominal growth in tax collection over and above the inflation rate may have generated a sense of complacency regarding administrative performance. One deleterious outcome has been the inexorable rise in disputes, reflecting rising pecuniary and non-pecuniary
costs of compliance to the taxpayer. The tax administrations witnessed large tax revenues becoming uncollectible due to disputes emanating from tax demands that were of a protective nature, i.e., issued just to insure the tax officials against future liability. Such disputes were commonly viewed to have had adverse ramifications for the investment climate as business decisions became increasingly difficult in an environment of growing tax uncertainty.



The Commission (TARC), constituted to recommend reform exclusively in tax administration, was specifically mandated “to review the application of tax policies and tax laws in the context of global best practices and to recommend measures for reforms required in tax administration to enhance its effectiveness and efficiency.” The mandate reflected a deep concern of policymakers regarding the need for fundamental tax administration reform. Accordingly, the
TARC tasked itself to address the thus-far missing elements of best practices in tax administration in a comprehensive manner. Such reform should aim at a vision that focuses on taxpayers and their relationship with the tax administration. This vision has to recognize the growing links between direct taxes and indirect taxes as occurring in most modernizing tax administrations in cross-country experience, and show the way to building an administrative
structure that will bring accountability in the processes as well as greater outcome orientation.


This would require the structure to be overhauled for purposive delivery and be so oriented that officers and staff are empowered while being given key performance indicators to reflect accountability and responsibility at both the individual and organizational levels. Only such a fundamental reform could ensure that the objective of bringing palpable benefits to taxpayers in terms of a transparent relationship and enhanced communication, ease of compliance, and
quicker dispute resolution, is achieved.
In order to comply with the above mandate, the TARC identified four terms of reference, based on their relative importance, for immediate attention in its first report out. The selected terms of reference are:


 To review the existing organizational structure and recommend appropriate
enhancements with special reference to deployment of workforce commensurate with functional requirements, capacity building, vigilance administration, responsibility and accountability of human resources, key performance indicators, staff assessment, grading and promotion systems, and structures to promote quality decision-making at high policy levels.


 To review the existing business processes of tax administration including the use of information and communication technology and recommend measures best suited to the Indian context.


 To review the existing mechanism of dispute resolution, time involved for resolution, and compliance cost and recommend measures for strengthening the process. This includes domestic and international taxation.


 To review existing mechanism and recommend measures for improved taxpayer services and taxpayers education programme. This includes mechanism for grievance redressal, simplified and timely disbursal of duty drawback, export incentives, rectification procedures and refunds etc.
 

While covering these terms of reference, the TARC decided to address the other segments of the terms of reference in its subsequent reports. Issues such as impact assessment analysis, economic analytical models and strengthening database are examples of such aspects that are planned to be covered in future reports.

To achieve the desired goal, the TARC sought the views of its stakeholders, including the two Boards and its field offices, and the taxpayers. The TARC held meetings with the two Boards separately and of the officers, staff and their respective associations at the five metros of Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. Views from the directorates of the two Boards were separately ascertained keeping in view the policy dimension of their work. The TARC also met newly recruited officers at the National Academy of Direct Taxes and the
National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics to assess whether the training - in content as well as regularity, either at the induction stage or later - was sufficient to frame a structure that would be able to deliver in the manner outlined above. It was also imperative for the TARC to meet industry and professional associations at all five metros to ascertain their experience with the tax administrations, their expectations and suggestions for reform. One of the most important aspects of tax administration is the dispute resolution mechanism, since an inadequate or tardily functioning one could impede tax collection and create a climate of distrust. In view of this, the TARC had meetings with the President of CESTAT and Members of ITAT.


A list of such meetings is given at Annexure -I. The TARC is thankful to all the stakeholders for their suggestions and also for the free and frank discussions. These suggestions formed the basis of many of TARC’s recommendations. The TARC also acknowledges the co-operation and support of the CBDT and the CBEC in providing information and data that enabled TARC’s recommendations to be based on robust foundations.


Looking at the task at hand, which required in-depth analysis of various aspects relating to the four terms of reference, the TARC constituted six focus groups, comprising officers of the two tax administrations – former as well as current – and professionals from the private sector. The topics to be addressed by each focus group were framed after detailed deliberation within the TARC. The focus groups themselves met several times and came up with innovative
suggestions by providing a forum for open and frank discussions with TARC Members. In the final analysis, the role of the focus groups in deliberating on various issues in depth and bringing in knowledge of calibrating them with global best practices was crucial in forming the TARC’s views. This helped the TARC to successfully thrash out many a new idea and emerge with a critical mass of recommendations. A list of participants in the focus groups is at
Annexure -II.


The TARC’s recommendations were formulated at many meetings, formal and informal. A list of meetings in which TARC discussions were held is at Annexure – III. The TARC’s findings, conclusions and recommendations were unanimous, clearly pointing towards an overwhelming need for fundamental reform in tax administration that should successfully draw the attention of policymakers. 


Chapter I presents a comprehensive Executive Summary covering TARC’s
coverage, main findings, conclusions and recommendations for the various aspects of the terms of reference covered in the report. The TARC believes this is the right moment in the light of a new reform environment that is expected to emerge precisely at this point of time. 

The TARC places on record its appreciation of the Department of Revenue for providing support. It also thanks the Chief Commissioners of Income Tax and Central Excise and Customs of Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai for organizing meetings with officers and staff and for providing support in organizing meetings with stakeholders.
 

The TARC also wishes to recognize the overarching support of the Secretary to the Commission in all aspects. The Director and Under Secretary as well as other support staff were also helpful. The work of three research consultants was important for the background studies that were carried out. The editor’s meticulous work at top speed was crucial. But for their intensive efforts, timely delivery of the report would not have been feasible.

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