Context
The practice presented in this call consists of a set of tools and services that Suma has implemented to improve citizen services around municipal tax management.
Suma is the local tax agency of the Provincial Council of Alicante and nowadays serves all municipalities in the province of Alicante with different service schemes, which is unique in the Spanish municipal landscape. This model has aroused the interest of the local community in its more than 30 years of operation.
A remarkable feature of Suma is that it has signed close collaboration agreements with five local entities in Spain: Valora (Cabildo de Gran Canaria), Majadahonda City Council (Madrid), Gestalba (Diputación de Albacete), Roquetas de Mar City Council (Almeria) and Valdemoro City Council (Madrid). The main objective of these agreements is to share Suma’s information system, management model, and call centre, in a unique exercise of inter-administrative collaboration that does not exist anywhere else in the Spanish context.
Objectives
The variety of communication channels with taxpayers, the imaginative payment methods, and the inclusion of organisational measures to address the personal circumstances of taxpayers have created a customer service ecosystem that has proven to be highly appreciated by users, according to various satisfaction surveys that have been conducted.
Implementation
In terms of proximity, Suma has 47 one-stop shop tax offices spread throughout the province. A comprehensive mobile office system provides in-person service to remote areas. Informative sessions for foreign residents (23% of population), meetings with senior citizens’ associations and talks in secondary schools are part of Suma’s efforts to reach out to society. In terms of accessibility, the Suma website has a score of 9.74/10, (level AA, in PAe e-government standards). Services are offered in sign language for deaf people; a ‘clear language’ initiative has been established to make administrative documents understandable.
The multichannel nature of the practice reflects the constant concern to offer payment facilities to taxpayers. It offers:
- personalised flexible payment plans;
- instalments and payment deferrals through simple procedures;
- card payments on the website, in offices and at the call centre;
- payments by Bizum.
Payments can even be made by postal order at post offices to extend the service in municipalities where there is a lack of banking services. An online chat service, an office in the metaverse, a WhatsApp channel, together with its customer helpline (available 08.00–21.00 weekdays and 10.00–14.00 Saturdays) confirm that Suma is a model of service to citizens.