By Brynna Sentel
TheStatehouseFile.com
INDIANAPOLIS—Hoosiers are no longer simply taxpayers to the Indiana Department of Revenue. They are customers.
Looking at people as more than taxpayers are part of DOR’s efforts to rebrand and refocus its work with five priorities—customer service, culture, compliance, collaboration and continuous improvements.
DOR Commissioner Adam Krupp discussed how his agency is working to transform itself into a more customer-focused environment Tuesday during the agency’s annual meeting to solicit feedback from the public.
The majority of public recommendations were about ways to make DOR’s information more accessible to customers. Transparency is one of the department’s top goals.
“Simply there is a new energy at the department and the beneficiaries of that energy are those we serve,†Krupp said.
Tax handlers are now customer service representatives just as taxpayers are customers.
The department has undergone changes that include new staffing, new training, new technology, expanded hours and new processing procedures.
“Workplace culture has a direct impact on employee health and also the performance of any organization,†Krupp said told the people gathered at the Indiana Government Center.
Krupp said the department is working to shed the government employee label to become known as a great place to work.
When it comes to compliance, the DOR will hold itself accountable to its customers.
“The prudent thing is to make sure we have current accurate and defensible decisions when it comes to our business requirements and rules to be worked into the new system,†Krupp said.
Collaboration with the state and the communities it represents is important to fix any problems the department may have, he added.
“To the extent possible it is important to bring those impacted to the discussion and have a seat at the table,†Krupp said.
In 2017, DOR created the first commissioner’s task advisory council to suggest improvements. And working to continuously improve processes ensures no issue goes unaddressed, Krupp said, adding that the department will never be flawless as long as there is room for human error. His main concern is with how errors are addressed.
Krupp cited some of the DOR’s accomplishments, including improvements to the taxpaying process. Of the more than three million individual tax returns filed this year, two million generated a refund.
Taxpayers—or customers—are getting their refunds faster, Krupp noted. The turnaround time for a refund from the state is currently 10.7 days compared to 14.5 days in 2017.
“Hoosiers continue to file electronically in record numbers,†Krupp said.
The department is proud of the work they have done, Krupp said, but he recognizes there is much more to do.
FOOTNOTE: Brynna Sentel is a reporter for TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.
