Yerevan, Armenia – On May 7, the USAID-funded Tax Reform Project held a public presentation of the results of the Taxpayers’ Perception Survey 2013. Conducted by the Caucasus Research Resource Center (CRRC) Armenia between September and December 2013, the survey targeted 1,448 households, 400 taxpayer organizations and individual entrepreneurs in all regions of Armenia. The goal of the initiative was to create a baseline assessment of public awareness of the tax system in Armenia, tax compliance, communication between the tax authorities and taxpayers, and the efficiency of the tax policy and services provided to citizens.

Representatives of the Armenian government, the private sector, civil society organizations, international agencies, and independent researchers attended the presentation, which aimed to improve the general understanding of the tax system in Armenia and foster a productive discussion.

The Director of USAID/Armenia Karen Hilliard noted at the event that the benchmark survey would play an important role in promoting a public-private dialogue, enhancing mutual trust and public confidence in the tax system, and encouraging the culture of voluntary compliance to advance Armenia’s economic growth.

CRRC Program Coordinator Lusine Zakaryan presented the main findings of the survey. A question-and-answer session then allowed the participants to discuss sector-related issues with Government officials.

The survey will be available to the public on the CRRC-Armenia website at www.crrc.am.