WILLEMSTAD - Since the appointment of the Minister of Finance, he has initiated and/or continued various reorganization processes within the entire tax authority. These include establishing a "cashless" National Receiver, introducing a customer service department with an associated call center, and implementing and publishing a transparent collection policy. 

Additionally, the Minister of Finance has requested SOAB to periodically assess the correct application of the collection policy. 

It is important to mention that SOAB has not conducted individualized investigations within the NTax Office, so the SOAB investigations were not aimed at the actions or omissions of any individual within the Tax Office. 

SOAB has assessed the collection process of outstanding tax assessments and the correct application of the collection policy organization-wide. Subsequently, SOAB has reported its findings and recommendations. 

SOAB has not conducted audit investigations, resulting in no conclusions being included in its reports. However, the findings reported by SOAB are of a nature that calls for actions. As a result, the SOAB reports have led to several improvement actions, including: 

• The decision, already made by the head of the Tax Office, that as of January 1, 2024, no advances may be provided; • The decision that an improvement plan must be immediately developed and implemented to mitigate the risks identified by SOAB. SOAB will assess the improvement plan, monitor its implementation, and report on it; • The decision that any outstanding advances must be reconciled as soon as possible; • The decision that all files of outstanding assessments must be provided with necessary documentation (including the justification of payment arrangements); • The decision that periodic internal controls by SOAB will be continued and intensified; • The decision to establish a reporting point for civil servants and/or taxpayers; • The decision to launch an information campaign to inform the community about collection guidelines so that everyone is aware of their rights and obligations. 

The above improvement actions aim to mitigate the risks identified by SOAB and optimize the functioning of the Tax Office. “We continue to work on improving our tax authority (Inspectorate and National Receiver) for the sake of transparent and customer-friendly service to the people.”