Tax communication: From "complaining" to "accompanying"
At the Workshop "Promoting self-respect and full tax compliance - Building a strong era" held on October 23, 2025, co-chaired by Lao Dong Newspaper and the Tax Department - Ministry of Finance, and co-organized by the Vietnam Federation of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), financial expert Nguyen Minh Thu said that Vietnam has a huge advantage: that is the people's trust.
Financial expert Nguyen Minh Thu cited a survey by YouGov in 2021, the rate of Vietnamese people's trust in the Government is much higher than the world average. "This is a valuable social capital that the tax sector needs to take advantage of" - Ms. Thu commented.
Accordingly, regarding building a spirit of sustainable tax compliance, she said that we cannot build it just by law and sanctions. "The foundation must be trust and understanding. People are willing to contribute when they believe that their money is used for the right purpose and fairly" - the expert emphasized.
Ms. Thu believes that we need a communication strategy from "commanding" to "accompanying".
Applying technology to turn tax compliance into a positive experience
To realize the goal of building a spirit of sustainable tax compliance, Ms. Nguyen Minh Thu said that Vietnam's communication strategy needs to be built on a completely new philosophy: shifting from "commanding" to "accompanying", from "enforcement" to "encouragement".
The first pillar, she proposed, is to turn taxes into stories with people.
"Instead of dry slogans, we should tell real-life stories that touch the heart. Let's show people where a new road is built in their homeland, how a hospital in the highlands that saves people every day is operated thanks to a stable source of income, or how a small business has grown up thanks to a timely tax refund policy" - she said.
In particular, Ms. Thu emphasized that people need to have a quick, direct link about the relationship between the tax they pay and the benefits they receive.
Second, the expert said that it is necessary to communicate behavior instead of forcing.
She said: "personalized messages based on data of each taxpayer group will help tax authorities communicate more friendlively and easily. The electronic tax portal should be designed simply, with pre-determined active options such as "agree to receive tax reminders", reducing operations and barriers for users.
At the same time, the expert commented that it is necessary to apply the technique of "Gamification" - Turning obligation into a winning experience.
"This is a breakthrough direction to remove psychological barriers: create a safe testing environment, let people get acquainted with tax declaration through small tests or simulations, and encourage them with recognition badges" - she shared.
She believes that "winning" these games can create a positive spillover effect, when people share their "achievements" through social networks. According to her, this not only helps people realize that taxes are not too complicated, but more importantly, "they are truly smart".
Finally, she suggested combining data and technology as a platform.
"All of the above will not work without technology. Accordingly, tax authorities need to apply AI and data analysis to classify taxpayers and deploy a 24/7 consultation chatbot, helping to provide timely support and reduce pressure on people" - Ms. Thu said.
Financial expert Nguyen Minh Thu emphasized that the above pillars together create a comprehensive strategy, taking people as the center, to rebuild the social model on the foundation of understanding and trust.
