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This year we commemorate our centenary. It is a milestone I am proud to recognise, an opportunity to reflect on our role in supporting the community and to look to the future with confidence.
In laying the foundations for our next centenary our challenge will be to provide the community with the tools, products, services and support it needs to participate in Australia's tax and superannuation systems.
Our Strategic statement 2010-15 describes our vision, strategic themes, values and approaches. The compliance program this year will explore these themes and outline how we will work with government and the community. The program enables us to be open with the community and identify areas that concern us and advises the support we provide to help people comply. It also provides the community with the opportunity to provide us with feedback.
Our Corporate plan 2010-11 sets out our priorities for the year ensuring that we progress in the direction set in our strategic statement. Key priorities are to:
- support government priorities and encourage community participation
- support people and make it as easy as possible for them to fulfil their responsibilities at minimum cost
- support those willing to participate and deal with those not willing to do so.
Delivering these priorities in partnership with the community will help build an environment conducive to high levels of voluntary compliance. This in turn will make us an even more effective tax and superannuation administration for the country.
Given a more global environment and various reviews and policy proposals affecting tax and superannuation we must also remain responsive to the challenges and opportunities they bring both for us and, more importantly, for the community.
We should all have the expectation that our tax and superannuation systems are well managed. However, we should all also realise that this is a joint and shared responsibility.
Tax provides us all with the public services and infrastructure we enjoy and superannuation secures retirement income for Australians. So it is important for all of us to encourage behaviours that engender community trust and confidence in these nation building systems and in our administration.
Most of us appreciate that we need to pay our share of tax. We also recognise that tax and superannuation support the ongoing wellbeing of Australians. This compliance program attempts to balance empathy and support of people who want to comply and a timely and firm response for those that don't. More generally it seeks to encourage people to recognise tax and superannuation as community assets, where willing and proper participation is a part of good citizenship for all who live, operate and invest in Australia.
Michael D'Ascenzo
Commissioner of Taxation
Last Modified: Wednesday, 15 December 2010