In line with its ongoing initiative to improve its services, the Mauritius Revenue Authority (MRA) provided taxpayers with the opportunity to participate in a Taxpayer Satisfaction Survey during the last income tax filing season which ended on 15 October 2021.

The survey, carried out electronically, was in its fifth consecutive year but this year, it was segregated into the following three components:

(i)  A  Customs  Stakeholders  Survey  targeting  customs  stakeholders  such  as  importers, exporters, freight forwarders, customs brokers, among others;

(ii)  A Tax Stakeholder Survey targeting accounting firms, tax advisers, MIPA registered persons; and;

(ii)  The usual Public Taxpayer Satisfaction Survey.

With three surveys, the MRA provided an extended the coverage of the activities undertaken by the Authority including those relating to the technical tax nature of work such as tax audits, effecting refunds, handling of objections and even on the assistance provided under the Government financial assistance schemes during the COVID-19 period.

A taxpayer could only complete one survey and was opened only to those individual taxpayers filing their tax return electronically. By participating in the survey, an individual could stand the chance to win one of the three cash prizes, namely Rs 25,000, Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000.

A preliminary analysis of the three surveys shows that:

• 90% of the taxpayers from the General Public think the MRA has met their expectations since its operation in 2006;

• 86%  of customs  stakeholders  consider  that  the  overall  service  delivery  by  MRA  Customs is Good/Very Good;

• 83%  of  tax  stakeholders  believe  that  there  has  been  an  improvement  in  the  service  delivery  of the MRA over the last five years, and;

• 78%  of  respondents  believe  that  there  has  been  an  improvement  in  integrity  and  ethical behaviour of MRA staff over the years.

The MRA has always considered taxpayer satisfaction survey as an important in obtaining feedback from taxpayers on the standard of services being provided and also to monitor trends in public confidence in the tax administration. Based on the satisfactions results of the surveys, the MRA has been taking initiatives by making improvement in areas wherever required.