An Investigation into the Impact of the Electronic Taxation System: A Case Study of Namibia

Abstract

The Namibian government has benefited to date from information technology in many ways. The current research attempts to investigate the impact of electronic taxation systems, how well it is used, understood and utilized in developing countries. The importance of understanding and influencing Namibian citizens’ acknowledgement of E-Government services is key, given the substantial investment in government communication, information system technology and the potential for cost saving. One of the most successful E-Government initiatives, the electronic filing system (e-Filing), allows tax returns to be filed electronically. Despite many taxpayers adopting this method, a large number are still using the traditional manual method of filing tax returns. A descriptive research approach, namely the Quantitative method was used to evaluate the impact of electronic taxation systems. This study utilized the decomposed theory of planned behavior with factors adjusted specifically for Namibia as a developing country to identify the possible determinants of user acceptance of the e-Filing system among taxpayers. This exploratory study was conducted by means of a questionnaire survey. The questionnaires were completed by 48 individual taxpayers in Windhoek, which made up the whole sample. The research instruments used were questionnaires. The data and information collected was inspected for accuracy and completeness. Data collected was presented in the form of tables, charts and graphs for better understanding. After the data was analyzed the following findings and conclusions were drawn. Taxpayers using the manual method lack facilitating conditions such as access to computer and internet resources, which was the most significant barrier to e-Filing usage, while taxpayers using the electronic method reported perceived usefulness as the primary determinant in their decision to use e-Filing. Understanding these acceptance factors can extend our knowledge of taxpayers’ decision-making and lead to better arranging and usage of future EGovernment initiatives in Namibia and other developing countries.