The Inter-American Center of Tax Administrations announces the “Second CIAT Contest on Innovation in the Tax Administrations”. Entries may be sent until november 30, 2009.

The purpose of this annual contest is to recognize and promote improvement and creativity in the tax administrations. It constitutes concrete evidence of the effect of innovation on their performance which ultimately results in greater public trust.

By highlighting exemplary ways of innovative performance of the tax administrations, the Program acts as a catalyst in continuous improvement for satisfying the permanent demand faced by tax administrations of finding new and better ways for achieving their institutional objectives.

The following categories of acknowledgement are hereby established:

• INTEGRITY AND TRANSPARENCY: Good innovative practices that contribute to management integrity and transparency, thus strengthening ethics and equality in tax administration.
• EFFICIENCY: Good innovative practices that may contribute to carrying out administration activities at lower costs, as well as providing taxpayers with the benefits of time or cost savings without impacting the effectiveness of integrity of tax administration.
• EFFECTIVENESS: Good innovative practices that may contribute to more effectively carrying out tax administration activities, particularly those pertaining to monitoring and verification of compliance with tax obligations on the part of taxpayers, and effectively executing tax administration in order to guarantee the collection of all outstanding tax debts.

For further information, tax administrations may access the Contest  Rules.