As digitalization continues to drive change in economies worldwide, PITAA’s initiatives offer a clear path for Pacific tax administrations to stay relevant, innovative, and effective. By focusing on revenue mobilization, capacity development, and technological advancements, the organization provides a forward-looking approach to cooperation across the region. These key priorities are essential for equipping Pacific tax administrations to move with ease through today’s economic realities.

Once more, Data Tech International has had the honor to assist at this yearly event, this year held in Vanuatu. This yearly heads meeting is crucial for all the countries in the Pacific region willing to transform and enhance their economic systems. In this regard, DTI’s CEO, Mr. Goran Todorov, personally joined this yearly event and exchanged ideas and stories of success in the two countries in the region where DTI’s flagship product, TaxCore®, has a firm presence: Fiji and Samoa.  

TaxCore’s know-how offers countries in the region a clear path towards revenue increase by using the latest tendencies in digitalization, and data analytics with powerfully tailored reporting tools capable of handling compliance, modernizing tax systems, adapting to the local conditions, and, at the same time, by adding value to the tax administrations.

Fiscal Innovations: Modernizing Revenue Collection

As economies become increasingly interconnected, the need for innovative approaches to revenue collection has never been more critical. The growing complexity of tax compliance requires tax administrations not only to manage existing systems but also anticipate emerging risks and challenges.

PITAA’s emphasis on modernizing revenue collection highlights the importance of using data analytics, automation, and strategic risk management to address these challenges. By utilizing advanced technologies, tax authorities can more effectively identify tax evasion, predict areas of non-compliance, and develop tailored strategies to improve revenue generation. This is particularly vital for Pacific nations, where resources may be limited, and optimizing tax collection is essential to supporting public services and infrastructure development and maximizing tax collection is crucial for.

But modernization isn’t just about upgrading technology; it also involves taking care of transparency and accountability in an ethical manner. Effective risk management goes beyond identifying potential issues—it requires building trust with the public and engaging taxpayers to encourage voluntary compliance. As countries in the Pacific region like Fiji and Samoa, explore these fiscal frontiers, combining innovation with integrity will be key to achieving sustainable progress across the region.

Data Tech International fully understands these priorities. With a long history of supporting tax authorities across the Pacific, its success stories in Fiji and Samoa showcase how leveraging the latest technology can lead to tangible modernization in tax administration. By tracking non-compliance and utilizing advanced tools, these efforts are helping generate sustainable revenue streams, setting an example for the entire region.

Enhancing Digital Transformation: The Role of Technology in Taxation

Digital technology is playing an increasingly central role in transforming tax systems, and PITAA’s focus on digitalization—described as riding the “Digital Waves”—marks a significant shift in how countries manage taxation across the Pacific. From automation to artificial intelligence, these tools are leading to faster, more accurate, and more accessible tax systems that benefit both tax administrations and citizens.From automation to artificial intelligence, these tools are leading to faster, more accurate, and more accessible tax systems that benefit both tax administrations and citizens.

One of the most striking benefits of this digital transformation is the efficiency it brings. Automated processes reduce the administrative burden for both governments and taxpayers, automation now allows completing tasks in a manner of minutes when those tasks once took weeks. This frees up valuable resources for tax administrations to focus on more pressing matters, such as detecting fraud and ensuring compliance. Moreover, digital systems promote transparency by making data more accessible and traceable, reducing the opportunities for corruption or mismanagement.

The challenge: cybersecurity and the ethical use of AI

However, the rapid adoption of digital tools brings its own set of challenges, particularly in terms of cybersecurity and the ethical use of AI. As tax administrations become increasingly reliant on these technologies, it becomes crucial to protect digital tax systems from cyber threats. PITAA’s recognition of these risks highlights its dedication to building secure, resilient infrastructures that preserve the integrity of Pacific economies. Digital transformation must be paired with measures that address these risks and ensure that no country is left behind as the region advances.The digital transformation must go hand in hand with measures that address these risks and ensure that no country is left behind as the region moves forward. 

TaxCore®, with its broad range of capabilities, adds value to tax administration by offering a wide array of automation techniques that dramatically reduce the time tax authorities’ staff spend analyzing data. It also equips tax inspectors and other essential personnel with the data that truly matters when carrying out their daily tasks. Additionally, TaxCore® always protects sensitive data, keeping it safe from cyber threats, and having it remain securely on the tax authorities’ premises, well-guarded against any major incidents. Data Tech International (DTI) takes cybersecurity very seriously, addressing potential cyber-attacks that could threaten critical infrastructure.

Developing Expertise: strengthening the Pacific Workforce

A highly skilled workforce is the backbone of any successful tax system. Understanding this, PITAA has made capacity building a key pillar of its modernization efforts. As the complexity of taxation grows, a workforce equipped with the right skills and knowledge is essential to keeping pace with global trends and technological advancements.

To do so, tax authorities should not only focus on technical training but also foster a culture of innovation, leadership, and continuous improvement. This holistic model ensures that staff are well-prepared to not only operate modern technologies but also to engage in strategic thinking and problem-solving. As automation takes over routine tasks, the value of human expertise in decision-making, ethics, and long-term planning will only increase.

Collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the Pacific are equally important. While the region’s countries are diverse, they face many similar challenges in modernizing their tax systems. By sharing best practices and working together, tax administrators can enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their systems. PITAA’s annual meetings provide a critical platform for this cooperation, enabling tax authorities to learn from one another and collectively strengthen tax administration across the Pacific.

Data Tech International (DTI) also contributes significantly to this vital aspect. Its proven expertise in capacity-building, demonstrated through successful implementations in Fiji and Samoa, showcases its strong commitment to adapting to local conditions. DTI focuses on maximizing the effectiveness of training for tax administration staff, modernizing existing processes, enabling new ones, and increasing overall efficiency in order to allocate limited resources effectively in a fast-changing environment.

Actions to Achieve the Vision

To turn PITAA’s vision of a modernized, efficient tax system into reality, several steps must be taken. The path to achieving these goals requires a balanced approach that integrates innovation, collaboration, and a long-term focus on sustainability.

First, investing in technology that truly delivers robust infrastructure remains a top priority. Without the right tools, even the most skilled workforce will be unable to fully implement modern tax systems. Building and maintaining digital platforms, secure databases, and automation tools is essential to laying the foundation for long-term success.

In parallel, maintain the current position that continuous learning and development are essential. While technology plays a key role in modern tax administration, the people who manage these systems are the true drivers of progress. Regular training, opportunities for professional growth, and engagement with new methodologies are crucial to ensuring that digital transformation efforts are both effective and sustainable.Regular training, opportunities for professional growth, and engagement with new methodologies are crucial for ensuring that digital transformation efforts are both effective and sustainable. 

Data Tech International cooperation commitment

In this respect, cooperation between Pacific nations is indispensable. While each country faces unique circumstances, the overarching themes of digitalization, risk management, and capacity development are shared challenges. By pooling resources, expertise, and insights, Pacific nations can create a collective force for regional progress and drive meaningful change in tax administration.

At Data Tech International, we believe that strong, ongoing cooperation is key to ensuring long-term regional progress. This is essential to achieving digital transformation. That’s why TaxCore® represents the most reliable solution for tax authorities—facilitating capacity development, securing revenue collection, and protecting sensitive data from cyber threats, while ensuring that the latest trends and technologies are continuously adopted, updated, and modernized.By pooling resources, expertise, and insights, Pacific nations can create a collective force for regional progress and drive meaningful change in tax administration.

The post PITAA Annual Heads Meeting 2024: TaxCore Response appeared first on Dti.

For four years, BEL’s employee noticed the tax fraud in New Zealand, contacted the SFO (Serious Fraud Office), and involved the police, finally prompting action from the IRD. According to her testimony, she feared the tax bills she was preparing for the company might not be legal. In mid-2019, IRD brought 39 charges against Bracken in relation to GST returns BEL filed between September 2014 and August 2018.

Records held by the New Zealand Customs Service showed that BEL had exported just $478,000 products to Niue under its own name between 2011 and 2018, but falsely claim it had purchased product in country worth more than $133 million and exported nearly all of it over the four years.

The scheme involved Bracken contacting various companies and enquiring about purchasing their products. The companies would provide a pro forma invoice setting out the terms of trade. In most cases the companies never heard from Bracken again. Bracken then copied and altered these pro forma invoices to falsely depict large purchases that never occurred.

Bracken stood before Justice Graham Lang in the Gisborne Supreme Court this March.
Directors and owners of several companies heard the trial for tax fraud in New Zealand, who allegedly delivered the invoices. They refused to provide the products or invoices Bracken claimed, saying the invoices looked very similar to the pro forma invoices they had provided him. Some of the bills were for amounts that the directors said were much higher than their annual sales figures.

Freezing the funds

The freezing of the assets family owns began in 2019, at that time John Bracken told the Weekend Herald that having his assets frozen made him feel “basically guilty” before hearing any evidence in court. “It’s quite a horrible situation here. Bracken stated, “The authorities are freezing our funds, we don’t have a lawyer, and we’re not really sure which avenue we’re taking to fight it.”

“[We’ve done] absolutely nothing wrong. What I’ve done is fine [regarding tax affairs], I’ve done it for 20 years and a lot of other people do it.

IRD had no idea

Unfortunately IRD had no system in place to detect the fraud. If there wasn’t a whistle blower, Bracken could’ve continued his operation unnoticed. IRD investigators collected evidence for four years, but how far exactly did this fraud went on only Bracken knows. His statement to Weekend Herald that he has done it for 20 years, could be true.

Fiji and Samoa are the first countries in the region to adopt unitary digital invoice. Such case could not go undetected in these jurisdictions because the system (TaxCore®) is built on top of the public key infrastructure and uses a certificate authority to provide security.

The public key infrastructure allows for mutual authentication of the taxpayer and tax authority, prevents the repudiation of digital signatures, and ensures data transport security and invoice integrity. The IRD would not have any doubt to sound alarm on the first fake invoice that would’ve arrived from Mr Bracken with the claim request.

What IRD has introduced recently is e-invoicing so invoices will be digital, hopefully mandatory one day, however verifying them will not be as efficient as in their neighbouring Island countries. Unless IRD adopts the clearance model, they will need to operate their system for matching up invoices similar to practices in South Korea or India. While this process can be automated, it does not provide a complete solution for all case scenarios, as explained by a group of authors in their research paper titled “Invoice Matching or a Unitary Digital Invoice.”

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In 1997, its official name was changed from Western Samoa to Samoa. This was the point where a lot of changes were due for this nation, the latest one being a completely new tax collection system.

In July of 2019, the Minister of Revenue in Samoa, Mr. Tialavea Tionisio Hunt, reviled the plan that the country will be rolling out a new tax monitoring system to erode tax evasion. The Minister announced that this new system will be web-based, and it will enable real-time monitoring of businesses and taxpayers.

Samoan Ministry of Customs and Revenue, taking in consideration the successful implementation of our software, TaxCore, in Fiji, has offered the contract to Data Tech International, effective this month, when the implementation of TaxCore should officially begin.

The first order of business after signing the contract is setting up the hardware infrastructure and supporting all the taxpayers in Samoa. Additionally, DTI will provide training and knowledge transfer to the Ministry of Customs and Revenue of Samoa as part of the 5 year deliverable and maintenance agreement.

Data Tech International and its flagship product, TaxCore, strives to fight against the gray economy to ensure its worldwide eradication, among the benefits for the tax authority to bear in mind about the system, it is important to highlight:

The post DTI and the Independent State of Samoa Strike a Deal appeared first on Dti.

International Convention Center
Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands

PITAA consists of sixteen Pacific Islands countries. These are Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, Kingdom of Tonga, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, The Cook Islands, Federated State of Micronesia, Palau, Nauru, Niue, Tokelau, Republic of the Marshal Islands, Timor-Leste, and Tuvalu.

In 2019, the conference was held in the Marshal Islands, and Data Tech International (DTI) was invited to participate. DTI presented its ultimate electronic invoicing (e-invoicing) platform, TaxCore, and many benefits it has brought to Fiji Island where it is implemented as VAT Monitoring System (VMS).

With TaxCore, every fiscal receipt handed out to a customer is instantly verifiable as it goes through the system and is forwarded directly to a local tax authority. This ensures a real-time monitoring system where any discrepancies can be easily caught.

DTI has shown how TaxCore brings benefits for everyone, not exclusively to the tax authority – meaning that taxpayers and customers also have a lot to look forward to.

Tax Authority Gets:

• Significant Increase of Tax Collection
• Decreased Activity of Grey Economy
• Suppression of Tax Evasion

Taxpayers Get:

• Protection for honest taxpayers (from unfair competition)
• Minimized cost of compliance
• Registration of both sales and purchases (B2B transactions)

The Public Gets:

• Raise of consumer awareness
• Clear information on the tax amount that goes to the government
• Digital electronic invoices
• Participation in the CCA (Customer Compliance Award Program)

TaxCore is a safe system based on the PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) which gives full control to the tax authority. Although the system is based online, so it ensures real-time data transactions, some countries are facing difficulties with the internet infrastructure. Therefore, DTI ensured that TaxCore can work offline as well using secure element in the form of a smart cards that save data until the internet connection is re-established. This has proven most valuable when disaster happened right after launch in Fiji (April 2018) when cyclone Josie had devastated western parts of the island. All the sales records before the affected shops were closed due to the hurricane were preserved and reported to Fiji Revenue and Customs Service (FRCS).

The List of Participants

The PITAA conference of 2019 saw many important names attending. Besides the PITAA members participating were also distinguished observers from International Monetary Fund (IMF), Australian High Commission, New Zealand Inland Revenue Department, and many more.

It was a true honor to be invited to a conference which so many important names attended. Which is why DTI made sure to provide the latest information on technology in taxation and VAT monitoring and how it need to be utilized. Moreover, we made sure to lead with an example and support all our claims with situations and hardships we encountered on the way and have solved successfully.

The conference was a great opportunity for DTI to shed some light on why it is important for outdated tax collection systems are brought into the 21^st century. A lot of data says that countries which dared embark on this journey have seen their efforts pay off significantly – and the goal of DTI is to help through this transition.

The post PITAA Conference DTI: Attending the 16th annual Conference appeared first on Dti.

Therefore, in 2017, DTI was invited to help FRCS come up with a new system that ensures easier and accurate tax collection. By offering the best solution with our platform, TaxCore, the government of Fiji made a decision to contract DTI to help them in the upcoming transition to a new system called VAT Monitoring System (VMS).

What makes TaxCore incredibly useful is the fact it offers a complete insight into every single receipt that goes through the system, may it be from a supermarket, wholesaler, doctor or a lawyer’s office. Therefore, in the present, the tax officers in Fiji can easily detect any irregularities with VAT, STT, EL or other levies throughout the country.

With VMS, Fiji probably has one of the most modern systems in the world which is fully digitalised e-invoicing system. However, given the challenging telecom infrastructure which often causes connection disturbances, DTI was faced with main obstacle: how to make e-invoice immediately verifiable regardless if Internet on premise is up or down.

We had to devise a system that would allow collecting data from a POS (Point of Sale) device even when the connection breaks. This data remains secured thanks to a smart card connected to the POS until the connection restores, and then it is forwarded to the tax office.

DTI’s team of programmers was ready to put a lot of time and effort into finding proper inventions to work around all the possible obstacles. It is thanks to their hard work we managed to successfully implement TaxCore and help the government of Fiji battle tax fraud efficiently.

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