Marketing e-Government applications - A case study of Ireland's online taxation platform

In September 2000, the Irish government introduced an online taxation service that was going to represent its flagship e-Government platform. The Revenue Online Service (ROS) was launched to enable the Irish taxation authorities to conduct its business online. The central aim of the service was to encourage the electronic filing of returns and declarations and other information exchange relating to the Irish taxation system. This paper critically examines the dramatic changes that have occurred over the intervening period in the Irish taxation landscape and considers some of the issues relevant to its future. The paper discusses the concept of e- Government in the context of Ireland and Europe, describing the benefits that e-Government has for both the provider and the user. Furthermore, it conducts a situational analysis of e-Taxation in action. Finally, it will look at marketing strategies for e-Government that would encourage greater usage and adoption amongst its user base. The purpose of this paper is to examine the motivators and inhibitors that encourage e-Government adoption amongst key stakeholder groups. A central aim of the research is to provide a template that would encourage even greater usage of online taxation administration applications. Between 2005 and 2006 the volume of online taxation returns increased by 24.1%, indicating an enormous success of the system. This e-Government system yielded savings of €14,323,872 in 2006 in terms of resource and administration costs, which represents a sizable yearly cost saving, and is indicative of the true benefits of an effective e-Government system. Over a four-year period, efiling adoption rates increased with 2006 achieving as high as 92% for some taxes. The value of ROS payments in that year was 26.6% of gross taxation receipts. Using a literature review and interviews with key stakeholders/experts, the authors will critically discuss and critique the impact of ROS. In-depth Interviews were conducted with seven subject matter experts/opinion leaders with a view to obtaining information on this online system. These respondents are key influencers and heavy users of these online e-Government applications. The core objective of the paper is to gain a greater insight into a successful e-Government application. Some of the primary motivators in increased usage of the system included greater transparency, timeliness and reduction of workload - users see real tangible cost saving benefits. Primary inhibitors included broadband connectivity, customer mindset (i.e. conduct tax affairs using the status quo), security concerns (i.e. reluctance to give bank account details over the internet), and lack of incentives to use the facility. To conclude, the authors postulate on possible measures that would encourage greater usage of eTaxation applications in the future, that will leverage tangible benefits for both government and its key stakeholders.