News of a recent “Taxation Explained” information session as part of observing Financial Literacy Month (see Wednesday’s paper) was well-received. It’s no secret that dealing with taxes is often considered a headache among both natural persons and enterprises, especially of the small- and medium-size variety.
Although some call doing so a relatively straightforward process, that’s not how most see things. They may reason that if it were really easy, experts would not be earning good money offering this service to others.
While obviously unable to judge the content of presentations and discussions at the aforementioned gathering, not having attended, the idea of assisting the public in this manner with such a sensitive and to many downright scary task is commendable. The same goes for periodic efforts to educate stakeholders on other collective responsibilities, including by Social and Health Insurances SZV on medical coverage and pension premiums, lost wages, etcetera.
People and by extension companies are expected to know the letter of the law, but it’s not always that simple. And, as probably not everyone can afford to hire somebody to help them with these complex issues, government and related entities indeed have a role to play.
Besides, facilitating the population to honour their civic duties makes sense in more ways than one. After all, ultimately improved fiscal compliance also means increased revenue for the national treasury and creates a level playing field when investing and doing business in the country.
Truth be told, nobody actually enjoys paying taxes, but contributing their fair share is a necessity that should be as painless and problem-free as possible.
