In 2004, the Serbian Tax Administration is scheduled to introduce a taxpayer declaration form for personal income tax, and a Value-Added Tax (VAT) - two big changes that will affect almost every citizen in Serbia. Taxpayer education and taxpayer service are key to the successful implementation of these two new elements of the tax law.
To prepare for the implementation of VAT, two former United States Internal Revenue Service officials advised the Serbian Tax Administration through the USAID Tax Reform Project. USAID helped to begin the process of simplifying and consolidating the 136 tax declaration forms and their accompanying instructions. The project delivered classroom and on-the-job training to thirty tax administration staff designated to manage pilot taxpayer service centers.
The USAID project has a resident public education advisor based at the Tax Administration to assist in developing the capacity of staff to implement both internal and external communications strategies, and help citizens understand the new tax law.
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