General Information

Cases/Enablers
OOP Case
Appetizer
E-Tax is a system, that allows users to do their tax return in less than 5 minutes. Using a secure ID, a taxpayer logs onto the system, reviews their data in pre-filled forms, makes any necessary changes, and approves the document with a digital signature.
Short summary
Using a secure ID, a taxpayer logs onto the system, reviews their data in pre-filled forms, makes any necessary changes, and approves the document with a digital signature. The process typically takes three to five minutes. One-click tax returns are also available, all known data is displayed to the citizen together with the calculated result, then all they have to do is click on the confirmation button; all this takes less than a minute.
Focus
Citizens
Business
Start date
Domain
Taxation
Scope
National/Federal
Country
Estonia
Nature and status of project
Rolled Out
Is the OOP case/enabler mandatory?
Opt-in

ENABLING ASSETS OR COMPONENTS

Political commitment
Interoperability of the State Information System. Endorsed with the Directive of the Minister of Economic Affairs and Communications 11-0377, 22.12.2011, https://www.mkm.ee/sites/default/files/interoperability-framework_2011.doc
Socio-cultural influence factors
All registers must linked by use commonly accepted keys:
• personal code for citizens,
• code of institution,
• standardised address presentation.

Secure data exchange layer X-Road (https://www.ria.ee/en/x-road.html) used for gathering data from different registers. X-Road is a technological and organizational environment enabling a secure Internet-based data exchange between information systems. All registers and Statistics Estonia must be a member of X-Road

Information regarding the X-Road members and the services they provide is available via the Administration System for the State Information System (RIHA). RIHA (https://www.ria.ee/en/administration-system-of-the-state-information-system.html ) serves as a catalogue for the state’s information system. At the same time RIHA is a procedural and administrative environment via which the comprehensive and balanced development of the state’s information system has ensured. RIHA guarantees the transparency of the administration of the state’s information system and helps to plan the state’s information management.

PKI or the public key infrastructure (https://www.ria.ee/en/public-key-infrastructure.html ) enables secure digital authentication and signing. The infrastructure also allows forwarding data by using an encrypting key pair: a public encryption key and a private decryption key. In Estonia, this technology is used in relation with electronic identity (ID card, mobile ID, digital ID). All members of X-Road are using Digital seal certificates for signing messages. Citizens and officials are using electronic identity tokens.

All participants must be implemented three-level IT baseline security system ISKE (https://www.ria.ee/en/iske-en.html). The goal of implementing ISKE is to ensure a security level sufficient for the data processed in IT systems. The necessary security level achieved by implementing the standard organisational, infrastructural/physical and technical security measures.


Data guidelines of Estonian Data Protection Inspectorate (http://www.aki.ee/et/juhised) must followed.

Benefits

Transparent and efficient tax collection.

Citizens save time: no need to go the tax office; no need to submit documents; 95 declaration are submitted online; citizens spend an average 7 minutes for submitting online declaration; one-click declaration available from 2015; no need for traditional post services.

Taxpayers receive refunds in five days

Lover administrative cost for tax board: the number of employees decrees 36,7% (2003-2012); lower expenditure for offices; decrease in the number of tax office visitors.

Higher quality of declarations; reduction of errors

Satisfaction of end users

X-Road services (56) are open for public sector institutions (including local government), for citizens, for business, for self-employed

DATA HANDLING / DATA EXCHANGE

Type of data sharing
Actual data
Data handler
Stakeholder name
The Estonian Tax and Customs Board
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Citizens
Stakeholder category
Citizen
Stakeholder name
Business
Stakeholder category
Business
Stakeholder name
Self-employed
Stakeholder category
Business
Stakeholder name
Internal users of Tax and Custom Board
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
External users over X-Road
Stakeholder name
Population register (RR) (Ministry of the Interior)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Commercial register (ARIREG) (Ministry of Finance)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Excise goods Customs Surveillance Information System (JVIS)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
System of detention orders transmission (e-arest)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
The system of electronic standard forms (AITA)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
The reporting system of electronic gaming (EHMA), electronic gaming reporting (EHMA
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Information system (MOSS)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Foreign Account tax Compliance Act application (FATCA)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
The list of persons of gaming restrictions (HAMPI)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
The register of declarations of interests (HDR)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
The Control system of import(ICS)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Register of Employment (TÖR) (Ministry of Finance)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
The VAT return (KMD) subsystem
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
The system of permits (LUBA)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Land Tax Information system (MAKIS)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Information system of fiscal stamps (MAIS)
Stakeholder category
Government
Stakeholder name
Non-residents register (MRR)
Stakeholder category
Government
Architecture
Register consists 36 subsystems, 45 services
Lessons learned
Enabler 1. Legal and organizational interoperability: legislation approved by stakeholders; government solutions pass interoperability assessment process.
Enabler 2. Secure data exchange layer for confidential and legally binding data needed. In case of Estonia the X-Road is used
Enabler 3. The unique personal identification code provide opportunity to merge personal data from different registers.
Enabler 4. The unique company commercial registry code provide opportunity to merge business data from different registers.
Enabler 5. Master data in registers must described in catalogue RIHA properly.
Enabler 6. Agreements about semantic interoperability needed: 14 standardised code lists


Barrier 1. Legal interoperability: some paper based requirements
Barrier 2. High development costs
Barrier 3. Organisational interoperability. High number of connected systems requires interoperability agreements between stakeholders.