On the eve of Taxpayers’ Day, the largest taxpayers were honored at a ceremony held at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania. The event, organized by the Lithuanian Free Market Institute (LFMI) in partnership with the law firm TGS Baltic, also saw the introduction of the Taxpayers’ Rights Charter, which aims to foster a relationship of trust and respect between taxpayers and government institutions.
On Saturday, May 11, Lithuania celebrated Taxpayers’ Day. In her address, Lithuanian Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen emphasized the growing trust in Lithuania, akin to the Nordic countries’ golden standard. “As a politician, my primary wish is that our decisions should not weaken but strengthen taxpayers’ trust in the state and vice versa. Acting in predictable conditions with clear and logical rules, we will all do our best to ensure Lithuania thrives and remains secure,” she stated.
Photo by Olga Posaškova
Vilius Bernatonis, the managing partner of TGS Baltic, noted that Taxpayers’ Day enhances mutual understanding and increases cooperation opportunities between businesses and the state. “We are all taxpayers, from company employees to our children, who pay VAT when buying treats. We must all feel a collective responsibility to ensure that living in our country is the best option, without the need to seek alternatives,” Bernatonis remarked.
Honoring Top Taxpayers
The event recognised the top taxpayers in four categories. In the first category, awards were given to the companies contributing the most to the national budget: Orlen Lietuva, Okseta, Circle K, and Ignitis. In the second category, which included the top corporate income taxpayers, the awards went to Thermo Fisher Scientific Baltics, SEB Bank, and Swedbank. Representatives from the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences Kaunas Clinics, Vilnius University Hospital Santaros Clinics, and Danske Bank’s Lithuanian branch were also honored, as their employees paid the highest personal income tax.
The list of companies and institutions was based on 2023 data from the State Tax Inspectorate.
Three companies were also recognised for making it into the 2023 Financial Times list of Europe’s fastest-growing companies: Surfshark (ranked 47th), PVCase (104th), and Ondato (137th). These awards highlight their rapid growth and predict a significant future contribution to the state budget.
Photo by Olga Posaškova
Launch of the Taxpayers’ Rights Charter
Elena Leontjeva, President of LFMI, introduced the Taxpayers’ Rights Charter, underscoring its importance in the context of the Day’s celebrations. “This year, with so much emphasis on taxpayers’ obligations to finance defense and other state needs, it is time to focus on their rights. We bring the Taxpayers’ Rights Charter to the Taxpayers’ Day celebrations, consolidating our scattered rights into one document. We believe that elevating these rights to the national level will establish a foundation for a new culture and policy, ensuring that our rights are practiced daily,” she said.
The Charter outlines thirteen rights scattered across various national laws, including the right to an efficient tax system, well-prepared tax laws, tax system stability, quality consulting, and information. “All these rights are based on simple principles of efficiency and proportionality, derived from the Law on Legislative Framework, which emphasizes that every legal measure must be weighed for its ability to achieve the set goal, and alternative ways to achieve the goal must be considered,” Leontjeva explained.
Edita Janušienė, Head of the State Tax Inspectorate, supported this initiative, highlighting the importance of public sector efforts to ensure that public services are as simple and transparent as possible. “Three words – simplicity, professionalism, and respect – describe the path to mutual trust and respectful cooperation between the tax administrator and the client. I am pleased that we are realizing this with our team,” Janušienė said.
Through an initiative by LFMI, Taxpayers’ Day was included in the list of memorable days in the Republic of Lithuania in 2018.
Initially published in 4liberty.eu
