Strategies 2010-2015
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
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S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
An exciting journey…
The Norwegian Tax Administration’s new strategies signal the start of an
exciting journey. We have high ambitions to improve the Norwegian Tax
Administration even further during the strategy period. We aim to meet the
future expectations of society, taxpayers and citizens, regarding both results and
user-friendliness. At the same time, we wish to look beyond our own organisational boundaries and make an active contribution to a user-friendly public
sector.
An important precondition for success is that the Norwegian Tax
Administration is perceived as an attractive employer where employees
can develop and prosper. We aim to attract talented young people.
With the use of Information and Communication Technology, we have developed
popular services for citizens and businesses. We have taken organisational steps
to ensure that we can deliver good results in the future. Many of the challenges
we have worked on in recent years are taken into account in the new strategies.
In the process of developing the new strategies, a wide range of companies,
organisations and government institutions in Norway and abroad were
contacted. They provided us with inspiration through sharing their
thoughts, ideas, expectations and perspectives on the future. This is
reflected in the strategies.
Setting goals, such as transparency, being a step ahead, user-friendly public
sector, quality culture, expertise, as well as predictability and a united
organisation, is the easy part. It is when these goals are put into practice that
we realise the level of challenge involved for both managers and employees.
By making operative the strategies into a number of concrete initiatives and
measures with defined goals, they can be systematically followed up. The same
applies to our values: professional, accommodating and innovative. However, we
will be judged on the basis of our actions, and our actions are dependent on the
contribution of everyone working within the Norwegian Tax Administration.
Svein R. Kristensen
Director General of Taxation
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
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S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
Vision
A society in which everyone
is willing to pay their dues
Most taxpayers follow the rules. They perceive the contribution their
taxes make to society as important.
Loyal taxpayers are satisfied with the way the Tax Administration
carries out its work. It has become easier to do the right thing.
Those who circumvent the rules experience a greater risk of detection.
More people therefore wish to comply with the rules and pay
their dues.
We achieve this vision through active cooperation with others – both
within the Tax Administration and with external partners.
By making these strategies and values the guidelines for our work,
we come closer to achieving our vision.
Values
Professional, accommodating
and innovative
Everyone comes into contact with our services. We shall meet our
users in a manner that creates confidence. Both internally and in
relation to our environment our values characterise our culture and
our behaviour. Our values and culture must contribute to moving the
organisation in the right direction. By doing so, we will be perceived
as professional, accommodating and innovative by those with whom
we come into contact.
We shall be:
· professional in our work.
· accommodating in our dealings with taxpayers and those with
whom we cooperate.
· innovative in the way we solve our mission.
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
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S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
The Tax Administration’s mission
The Tax Administration’s mission is to secure revenues in order to finance public
expenditure for the common good. The Tax Administration shall maintain and
strengthen the legitimacy of the tax system.
The Tax Administration shall ensure that the Population Register is kept
up-to-date. In addition, we shall contribute to other public registers.
The Tax Administration’s understanding of its mission
The Tax Administration endeavours to understand developments in society
and to address them. We need to constantly progress as an organisation.
What we do, and how we do it, affects our reputation and the legitimacy of
the tax system.
Our measures are differentiated in order to target varying groups of taxpayers.
In order to ensure legitimacy, we must make it easy to comply with the rules and
regulations, whilst at the same time ensuring that we are capable of combating
tax evasion and tax-related crime.
We have chosen five strategies that will ensure that we succeed in our mission:
•Transparency
• One step ahead
• User-friendly public sector
• Quality culture
•Expertise
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
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Transparency is a
precondition for trust.
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S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
Transparency
Together we will create a transparent organisation. We are tolerant,
and we learn from each other.
We enter into dialogue, and we are willing to be influenced by users and
partners in developing good rules and services. We admit to and rectify
our mistakes.
We are a preferred source of information, and we are visible in the
public debate. At the same time, we protect sensitive information about
citizens and businesses.
Ambition level for 2015
• We have established arenas where users and partners can participate in the development of systems and regulations.
• Dialogue with taxpayers regarding complicated matters is
standard practice.
• We are amongst the top government institutions in relation to our professionalism and accommodating attitude.
• The Tax Administration has taken the initiative to place several
important issues on the agenda and contributes actively to public debate by providing facts and information.
Reason
The Tax Administration is dependent upon users’ trust in the
organisation and in the tax system. We believe that transparency is
a precondition for trust. Transparency and good communication with
our surroundings help to build trust and increase our credibility.
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
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We facilitate compliance.
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S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
One step ahead
We understand the challenges facing businesses. Responsibility for compliance rests with the taxpayers and is an integrated part of corporate social
responsibility.
We facilitate compliance. We develop preventive measures and new control
methods. We engage in strategic alliances with new and existing partners.
We make things easier for citizens and businesses. Committed cooperation
with the Tax Administration shall be beneficial.
Ambition level for 2015
•
•
•
Our follow-up is to a greater extent based on dialogue and companies´ internal control.
We have introduced more methods of control.
We have allocated our resources to a greater extent on prevention and
new measures.
Reason
Compliance is being challenged by changing trends in society. In order to
increase compliance, we need to re-think our working methods and with
whom we cooperate. The Tax Administration has enjoyed success as a result
of committed alliances, and we wish to continue along these lines.
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
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An efficient public sector strengthens
the legitimacy of the tax system.
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S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
User-friendly
public sector
An efficient public sector strengthens the legitimacy of the tax system. We
make an active contribution to developing services, rules and regulations
across various branches of government, thus ensuring that users experience
a coordinated, modern and professional public administration.
Through cooperation, we also contribute to other public agencies succeeding
in their missions.
Ambition level for 2015
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•
•
We have contributed to cross-sectoral services.
We have made substantial simplifications in relation to the
business community.
We have made visible and concrete contributions to the development
of international cooperation in the field of taxation.
Reason
Society increasingly expects efficiency in the public sector. Users expect our
services to be based on their needs and situation. There is a great potential
in streamlining the value-chains that cut across public agencies and services.
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
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We are improving and
streamlining our services.
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S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
Quality culture
Quality means meeting society’s demands and users’ needs. We are
improving and streamlining our services and the way we operate.
We have common quality standards based on laws, regulations and
methods. We direct user expectation.
Management takes the lead in improvement efforts and empowers the
employees. We reward desired behaviour.
The Tax Administration acts predictably and is a unified organisation.
Ambition level for 2015
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•
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Through continuous improvement, the administration has achieved
better quality and higher productivity.
User surveys as a tool for continuous improvement has been systemised.
The probability of serious non-conformities arising has been
substantially reduced.
Reason
We acknowledge that the Tax Administration has a potential for
improvement in terms of quality, productivity and efficiency. The
expectations of the Tax Administration in relation to quality and userfriendliness are based on us being benchmarked against the best.
Small errors on our part can have major consequences for many people
as well as for our reputation.
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
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We focus systematically on
learning and knowledge.
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S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015
Expertise
To meet the Tax Administration’s needs, we focus systematically on learning
and knowledge. Together, we are building, utilising, sharing and developing
the Tax Administration’s expertise in a systematic manner.
We facilitate personal and professional development. Individual
knowledge is transformed into shared expertise. We are a creative and
innovative organisation with the necessary expertise and are perceived as
an attractive workplace.
Ambition level for 2015
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•
•
We are one of the most attractive organisations for job seekers.
We have reduced the gap between the expertise the organisation needs,
and its actual expertise.
Management devotes more time to staff development.
Reason
The population at large and the business community are becoming
increasingly more knowledgeable, and users expect the public
administration to make competent decisions.
We must be one step ahead if we are to win the competition for the best
minds. We recognise that we need to systemise the expertise at the Tax
Administration’s disposal.
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From strategy to action
We must utilise many different methods and means in order to implement
the five strategies. The most important methods are systematic work on
management, expertise and technology.
Managers are key culture bearers who have a major influence on the
changes that are actually prioritised and implemented. Therefore, the
most important precondition for success is managers who take
responsibility for implementing the strategies.
The Directorate of Taxes will support the implementation of the strategies
and contribute to ensuring that the strategies have management
support. We will take steps to ensure that the strategies are specified, thus
enabling good management and prioritisation. In the time ahead, we will
witness big and small initiatives aimed at underpinning our strategies.
We must also measure and make sure that we actually succeed in
realising them. The strategies must permeate the whole organisation.
The Tax Administration’s new Human Resource strategy demands
systemisation. Performance will be assessed in relation to our values and
strategies – in both what we deliver, and how we deliver.
We will give priority to technological initiatives that underpin
the strategies.
The new strategies challenge our culture and force us to change the way
we operate. All employees will be affected. If we are to succeed, we must
work together and use the solutions we develop together. It is important
that taxpayers and partners see us as a unified organisation.
Hence, from strategy to action!
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Published by:
Directorate of Taxes Norway
Management
June 2010
Design:
Blå Design
Photo:
Bård Brinchmann Løvvig
(pages 1,3,8,14,16)
Print:
Lier Kopi & Trykk
Copies:
3000
S t r at e g i e S 2010 – 2015