Cooperation puts the tax authorities in touch with real-world challenges

Efforts to combat the grey economy are developed in cooperation with the authorities. Senior Advisor Perttu Puukko from the Finnish Tax Administration feels that electronic solutions are changing the construction industry and introducing new means of combating the grey economy.

“The construction industry is ahead of other sectors in its deployment of e-solutions — it is blazing the trail. Electronic collection and reporting of information steps up the efficiency of operations across the board. This also benefits efforts to combat the grey economy,” says Puukko.

SRV uses the Network Register* to submit its statutory monthly report on workers at sites to the tax authorities. The company is also praised for its real-time information and reporting that goes beyond the minimum statutory requirements.

“In some situations, SRV already provides us with information that exceeds the minimum. One example is employee-level information. The real-time functionalities of the SRV Network Register facilitate more comprehensive reporting,” says Puukko.

SRV’s proactive attitude has helped to ensure smooth cooperation even when dealing with tough issues.

“Pilot projects are always necessary during development and SRV has always been prepared to do its part. The company has had the will to not only comply with the official requirements in its operations, but also go several steps beyond. One good example is the company’s Anti-Grey Economy Days, which also provide us with valuable information,” says Puukko.

“It’s important for us at the Tax Administration to listen to stakeholder groups, such as through pilot projects — after all, in practice, things happen in the field. We gain real-world experiences and information about what works and what doesn’t.”

*The SRV Network Register is an electronic application developed by SRV for monitoring compliance with regulatory obligations on sites.

The story was originally published in 2017 Annual Report.