COPENHAGEN: From January 2018, the Danish tax agency will launch a pilot scheme to support small- and medium-sized enterprises on value-added tax and direct tax compliance matters.
The new “VAT and tax check” (moms- og skattetjek) will mean that SMEs can, at their own discretion, have an accountant review a number of selected tax issues, including, for example, the taxation of employee benefits, to identify problematic areas at high risk of taxpayer error. This will allow companies to identify and correct errors before reporting information to the authorities, giving them greater certainty that they wil pay the correct direct tax and value-added tax, the Government said. In turn, it will free up more time for tax agency officials to tackle deliberate non-compliance.
According to the Government, of the 600,000 SMEs in Denmark, around 46 percent make unintended errors in tax filings and 10 percent make intentional mistakes to mitigate or evade taxes. “It must be easier for companies to pay the correct tax. We have complicated tax rules and, especially for small businesses, it can be difficult to comply with all rules without the help of a professional accountant. Therefore, we have now prepared a VAT and tax check so those who want to follow the rules can be more sure that they pay the right tax,” said Tax Minister Karsten Lauritzen.
Guidelines on the initiative are to be released in December 2017.
