24.04.2012

Already 118 municipalities are using the Mateus software to process local taxes and fees. The software has been developed by Information Services Plc on MoF order and is being provided free to local governments.

The software meets the MoF objectives to reduce cash payments and can also process POS terminal payments. Mateus creates uniform and modern interface for municipal tax offices, allowing the municipal administration to facilitate its communication with clients and to improve the quality of services. For the time being the software allows only the administering of local taxes and fees and a web based application is developed to the system allowing taxable persons to check online their tax liabilities to the relevant municipality. The service works in real time and can successfully replace the mailing of paper notifications to taxable persons.

Mateus software allows easy administering and keeping of a citizen register, registering and processing of documents and tax returns, liabilities and payments, and accounting. There is a single register of taxable persons and a link is established between individuals and sole traders. The system maintains different types of identification numbers, such as personal number, personal number of foreigner and BULSTAT. After the pending integration with services like the Unified System for Civil Registration and Administrative Service of the Population (ESGRAON), the Commercial Register and the BULSTAT Register it will become an important part of Bulgaria\'s e-government. In the period 2012 - 2013 the MoF is planning to introduce the following additional functionalities:

• Direct debit - an option for an order for direct debit to a bank and automatic payment of the liabilities of the person that has filed the request;
• Direct services through bank websites - an option to check and pay online liabilities using the bank virtual portals;
• Payments online - payment of liabilities using debit and credit cards via the Internet;
• Filing of returns, processing and feedback about the status of the document received;
• Management of control and inspection activities;
• Management of receivables activities.

In the future the system will also have a module that will maintain centralized information about local taxes and fees liabilities in the municipalities in Bulgaria. It will contain data about tax reliefs in different municipalities and an option for access with electronic signature or eID. The centralization of the information will allow an overview of the tax liabilities of a person in all the municipalities in the country, a check on illegal use of tax reliefs in more than one municipality and collection of information about local taxes and fees liabilities and revenues throughout the country.

The Mateus system is based on \"cloud\" technology that allows installation both with the client and the Information Services database. Currently Information Services is working on two contracts with municipalities for provision of Mateus within the \"cloud\".