“People who engage in tax corruption or evasion, damage the service that you deserve. Denounce tax evasion and tax corruption.”

GDT, Taxpayers Join Forces to Fight Tax Evasion and Corruption

TIRANA, October 21, 2009 - “People who engage in tax corruption or evasion, damage the service that you deserve. Denounce tax evasion and tax corruption.” Launched last week by the General Directorate of Taxation (GDT), this slogan is part of a month-long national media campaign to encourage Albanians to use GDT’s toll-free hotline: 0800 14 14.

Sponsored by the MCC Threshold Program (II), the campaign will improve how the GDT tracks and investigates allegations of tax evasion and corruption. Its overall message is that tax compliance is a civic duty that affects the integrity of the entire system. Evasion and corrupt actions by some taxpayers and officials undermine the legitimate expectations of all taxpayers for fairness. GDT believes in working for and with citizens to shed light on these cases and clear the air.

“Our ultimate goal, said General Director of Taxation Artur Papajani, is to foster a tax system based on voluntary compliance that builds public trust in the objectivity, competence and integrity of the tax administration.”

Each call to the GDT’s toll-free hotline is tracked through an automated system. Cases are then forwarded either to the GDT Internal Investigation Unit for corruption allegations, or to the GDT Criminal Investigation Department for tax evasion denunciations. Calls to the hotline are strictly confidential and the anonymity of the source is protected. Citizens can also submit a written denunciation by visiting http://www.tatime.gov.al/, downloading a form, filling it out and sending it to GDT by email, mail, or hand-delivering in in person.

The campaign includes a national radio spot  a TV banner, billboards in 11 cities, and an informational brocure distributed throughout the country.