Strengthening Tax Compliance Through Technical Assistance

A joint session by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Swedish Tax Agency (STA), and the Addis Tax Initiative (ATI) in the context of the Dialogue on Tax and SDGs 2023

In the context of the upcoming Dialogue on Tax and SDGs 2023, scheduled to take place from 14th to 17th of November and held by the UNDP Tax for SDGs Initiative, the Addis Tax Initiative (ATI) will co-host a session on Strengthening Tax Compliance Through Technical Assistance.

The session, to be held on the 16th of November from 2:15pm to 3:15pm EST, will discuss how to promote equitable, transparent, and participatory tax systems that raise revenues for sustainable development. It will explore collaboration between UNDP, the Swedish Tax Agency (STA), and the ATI to leverage STA's technical strengths in building taxpayer trust while enabling STA to share its tax knowledge globally and supporting developing countries in strengthening tax administrations to align with the SDGs.

Trust in tax administration and participation of citizens are critical for domestic resource mobilisation.

Background:

Taxation is foundational to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Well-designed, administered and monitored tax systems raise revenues that enable investments in sustainable development priorities while shaping behaviours and environments.

The Swedish Tax Agency (STA) provides specialised skills in building taxpayer trust, modernising tax administrations, and enhancing domestic cooperation on tax policymaking. The STA's International Capability Building Program focuses on exploring strategies and actions to increase confidence, trust and voluntary compliance among taxpayers. UNDP brings on-the-ground presence in developing countries and expertise in supporting developing countries on aligning tax policies with the SDGs. The Addis Tax Initiative (ATI) fosters knowledge exchange and political commitment to enhance transparency and accountability in tax matters while also offering a “Matchmaking Platform” that connects donor countries with developing countries to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and technical assistance on taxation.

In their pursuit of promoting domestic revenue mobilisation towards the SDGs in developing countries, Sweden and other members of the ATI have engaged in technical cooperation and committed to enhancing space and capacity for accountability stakeholders to actively engage in tax and revenue matters.