China.org.cn | February 8, 2020
Economic Daily:
How will taxation authorities ensure the safety of visitors who are concerned about being infected while paying taxes or fees in service halls since the outbreak of the epidemic？ Thank you.
Wang Daoshu:
In line with the decisions and work deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the Party committee of the State Taxation Administration convened during the Spring Festival holidays. During the meeting, we made plans and deployed special advance measures to ensure that safe and smooth procedures are in place for those who need to pay taxes or other fees while the work to prevent and control the epidemic is still ongoing. The arrangements we have made now mainly focus on the development of contactless tax payment services. We have measures to guide taxpayers to make payments through contactless channels such as the official websites of taxation bodies, apps or self-service tax payment terminals.
I would like to tell you that currently 80 percent of tax-related matters can be handled through the websites and web portals of the various taxation offices. For instance, taxpayers can either receive their receipts by courier or delivery services after applying online to receive them. Alternatively, they can also retrieve them from self-service terminals as long as they have completed all the necessary online procedures. These measures can reduce the chances of face-to-face contact with counter clerks. For those who face difficulties or have personalized needs, they can call our 12366 hotline or get in touch with us through our WeChat accounts. Through our continuous efforts, we have improved our services in both these channels.
Certainly, we have also taken into account several instances where tax-related matters cannot be completed without physical visits to taxation counters. In these cases, clients are advised to book beforehand so that we can stagger their arrivals and ensure that they won't come in large groups. In our service halls, we have spaced out our staff to man every other window to prevent crowding and the epidemic from spreading further. We guarantee that all taxation offices as well as automated equipment are sterilized in line with the prevention and control requirements and all our staff there are also asked to wear face masks. The taxation bodies will continue to improve the comprehensive taxation services and facilitate procedures with more accurate guidance. The receptionist who first receives a certain inquiry will also be held accountable. That is how we ensure the health and safety of our customers.
In short, with all the measures mentioned above, we will ensure that our online and terminal services run well, and also increase the efficiency and reliability of our teller services at our physical locations.