Next FinMin Schillerová wants to simplify tax system

Lany, Central Bohemia, Dec 8 (CTK) - Alena Schillerova (for ANO), who will be finance minister in Andrej Babis's (ANO) government to be appointed next week, wants to focus on simplifying the tax system and drafting balanced state budgets, she said after meeting President Milos Zeman on Friday.

Schillerova, a deputy finance minister in the outgoing cabinet, was the third of the nine government newcomers to be received by Zeman, who wants to gradually meet all nine before appointing Babis's 15-seat minority government on December 13.

Schillerova said in the past years, the state raised the administrative burden for taxpayers by introducing VAT ledger statements and the compulsory electronic registration of sales.

"Now I think that we should on the contrary be working on simplifying the system. For me, [the launch of] an online financial office is an absolute priority," Schillerova said.

She said she wants an electronic submission of tax returns to be introduced in two years.

Schillerova, in her capacity as minister, also wants to push for a balanced state budget.

Schillerova said she does not want to make any marked changes in individual chapters of the draft 2018 state budget whose basic parameters the lower house approved in first reading this week.

She would not speculate as to what proposals for budget changes from deputies she might support.

"We will definitely subject everything to an analysis. I, of course, would be glad if no more transfers were made [within the budget], or some that would be really substantiated," Schillerova said about the budget bill submitted by outgoing Finance Minister Ivan Pilny (ANO).

Schillerova does not plan any changes regarding the property freezing orders the ministry's Financial Administration (FS) body imposes on business companies suspected of VAT evasion.

In recent months, the freezing orders came repeatedly under criticism, with critics labelling them an instrument to liquidate companies.

Schillerova said the orders' application method changed a month ago.

She said she expects PM Babis to inaugurate her in her office still on the day of the government's appointment.