Tax Literacy – Communications Best Practice Guide

9. The Guide - Using the Tax Communication Wheel

The tax communications wheel sets out an approach to developing communications around tax.

The questions below are adapted from it and intended to guide you through the process of developing and implementing your tax communication. You may already be considering some of the steps.

Confirm rationale and define objectives

For any tax communication to be effective, you need to be clear about the reason you’re doing it. These questions will help guide you through this process.

You may wish to consider the Tax Literacy objectives, in Annex A, to help you think about the goal of your communication.

• What is the rationale for the tax awareness communication?
• Is there any existing communication process for this specific type of communication that should be followed?
• Is the communication a one-way or a two-way interactive feedback process?
• What information is being used to inform the communication objectives? E.g. specific qualitative data, survey data, consultation with stakeholders.
• What other key sources of information could be used? Should they be used?
• Are your objectives aligned with current government goals and objectives?
• How frequent will this tax communication be? (e.g. a single message or part of a regular/ongoing series?)
• Based on the above steps, are the goals and objectives of the communication clear and defined?

Understanding the existing tax communication landscape

You should consider what existing communications channels are available, taking a strategic view. Some channels are more effective for particular audiences or purposes, so mapping them out can help you focus on the most effective communication route. Questions you should consider include:

• What specific taxpayer groups, specific sectors and stakeholders are key for this specific tax communication?
• Does any data corroborate the selection of these specific taxpayer groups? If not, can data be obtained?
• Are there any existing channels of government communication that could or will be used for this tax communication.
• What are the key challenges in ensuring the impact of this specific communication (communication of complex concepts, reaching seldom heard groups, delivery through third parties, preferred communication method etc)?

Targeting seldom heard groups

As noted above, it’s important to be clear about who you want to target with a communication. Government and other public bodies have duties under the Equality Act to advance equality of opportunity between people who share and who do not share a protected characteristic. Understanding needs, through data analysis, stakeholder engagement and listening to diverse voices, means communications can be tailored to reach an inclusive audience.

This could mean, for example, some groups prefer social media, traditional media, email, or direct outreach. Some questions to consider are:

• Which specific seldom heard groups or stakeholders may not be reached and/or need to be considered?
• What are the most effective methods, strategies and channels for communicating with the targeted groups for this tax communication?

Developing the message

In developing a message, you should focus on clarity and transparency. Think about using plain language, visual aids, videos or summaries. Some examples of straight forward definitions of tax terms are available at Annex C. You could develop it collaboratively with particular stakeholder groups or experts.

As noted above, if you’re targeting specific groups, you should consider what works well for them? Framing messaging positively and within a clear context can enhance understanding and engagement. Questions you should consider include:

• How will the message be developed, coordinated, simplified and tested for impact?
• What aspects of the message or content may need to be emphasised or tailored to resonate with the groups/audiences identified in previous stages?
• Looking back at your objective, is the message simply, clearly and transparently communicating what you need it to?

Communication channel and technology

There are a lot of potential channels you can consider:

• In-person (workshops, roundtables, town halls)
• Websites (both government and stakeholder)
• Traditional targeting (phone calls, letters, email, texts)
• Traditional media (newspapers, posters, TV & radio)
• Social media (TikTok, Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn)
• Partnerships (trade bodies, professional groups, local government, schools, community organisations)
• Parliamentary (statements, speeches, debates)

Questions you should consider are:

• Which channels are being used to communicate the message to different taxpayer groups?
• Are the channels aligned with the message and objective?
• For target sub-groups or hard-to-reach groups, do the channels selected match with those that they prefer to receive information about this tax?
• What is the role of any other government department involvement in the delivery of the message?
• Are in-person engagements planned as part of this?
• What role might external organisations play in developing or delivering the tax communication?

Governance, resource and ethical issues

Within limited budgets, it is essential to prioritise communication initiatives based on their potential impact and feasibility. Using communications specialists can also enhance the quality and consistency of communications.

As noted above, your communications should comply with any accessibility standards and guidelines, not discriminate against any group of taxpayers, maintain a neutral tone and provide clear information about taxpayer rights. Questions you should consider include:

• What are the budget and resourcing needed for the communication campaign?
• What are the timelines for implementing the communication?
• Does the communication meet accessibility and equality requirements?

Measurement and feedback

To understand if we have met our objectives and reached our target audiences, we need to measure the impact of our communication. Metrics should be used carefully, as there is not always a clear causative link between a change in metrics and a particular intervention.

• What are the key indicators of success that need to be measured?
• What are the metrics by which each of these indicators could be measured, whether qualitative or quantitative?

Below are some examples of metrics used in the monitoring and evaluation of the communication strategy under the German Recovery and Resilience Facility.

Social networks and SEO:

Data analytics are obtained through analytical tools integrated in the social media platform and are available to advertisers

• Number of users affected by advertising
• Organic user intervention
• Click through rate – number of clicks per restoration plan website

Webpages:

We can adapt the content of the website on the basis of data and analysis at a later stage

• Number of unique visitors per month or quarter or year
• Analysis of the monthly trend of visits
• Demographic analysis of visitors

Newsletters:

At a later stage, the content of the newsletter should be personalised and adapted on the basis of the personal preferences of each registered user.

• Number of users logged in (public)
• Number of users logged in (media)
• Number of unsubscribed users (public)
• Number of users logged (media)
• Open rate (% of users opening a newsletter)

Audiovisual and print media:

Based on the analysis, the communication team can evaluate the content quality of the activities and adapt the content for each target group.

• Number of “per activity” viewers affected
• Number of “per activity” audiences affected
• Number of “per activity” readers affected

Public debates and seminars:

• Number of active participants
• Number of questions or interactions from participants
• Number of debates