Accountants remain the most trusted players in tax, according to a survey by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), and the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).
The Public Trust in Tax survey which asked 7,700 members of the public across the world revealed that accountants have a major role to play in addressing corruption, which negatively impact on attitudes towards tax in economies.Â
Results show that 53.8% consider corruption a major factor, however most people believe the role of professional accountants contributes to improving tax systems by making them more efficient (59%), more effective (57%), and fairer (55%).
The findings follow ACCA, IFAC, and CA ANZ expanding their biennial G20 Public Trust in Tax survey – which this time omitted Russia and included New Zealand – to address not only corruption but also the issues of sustainable development and corruption, and how these two interconnect with trust in the tax system.
Corruption has a significant impact on attitudes towards tax in economies across the globe, with over half of G20 respondents citing it as a major factor.
At the same time, 68% of respondents in G20 countries see at least some connection between tax and sustainable development, and 57% would be prepared to pay more tax to support it.
In this context, the continued high levels of trust in professional accountants are more important than ever. The results shows that they remain the single most trusted stakeholder in tax in every G20 country, as it has been the case in every biennial G20 Public Trust in Tax survey since the initiative began in 2017.
The survey reveals the attitudes and opinions of the general public towards their tax systems, and the actors involved in them. The key findings indicate that:
- Trust in key stakeholders has improved in most regions, but there are still significant variations;
- People see tax systems as a mechanism for positive change, but are concerned about corruption;
- People generally think that levels of taxes paid are reasonable.
