The success of the workshops on implementation of Accounting and Tax Support Centres (NAF) in Colombia culminated in the commitment of the 12 universities invited by the DIAN. The workshops were organised with the support of Brazil's Receita Federal and the State University of Fronteira Sul within the framework of EUROsociAL.

With the aim of building bridges between the tax agency and citizens through the university, the Directorate of National Taxes and Customs of Colombia (DIAN) is promoting, with the support of EUROsociAL Programme of the European Union, the implementation of the experience of the Accounting and Tax Support Centres (known as NAFs). 

NAFs are an experience of the Brazilian tax agency (the Receita Federal). Through this initiative, the tax agency is training university students on the subjects of taxes and professional ethics so that the students can later, during their practice hours and under the supervision of their professors, advise low-income natural and legal persons free of charge.

The community benefits from the help in resolving basic tax questions, while the DIAN fulfils its role of citizen and tax education. The university, for its part, strengthens its link to the community and provides its students with up-to-date practical knowledge about tax matters at no cost.

In this context, from 16th to 20th November in Bogotá, there was an expert advisory mission by the Receita Federal and the State University of Fronteira Sul to the DIAN for creating NAFs in Colombia.

The workshop was opened by the Director-General, Dr Santiago Rojas Arroyo, and the Director of the Revenue Management Office, Dr Cecilia Rico Torres. This office is leading this project aimed principally at bringing the DIAN closer to taxpayers and citizens by promoting improved service.

The practical workshop was given by Ana Paula Sacchi Kuhar, an employee of the Receita Federal of Brazil, and Leandro Tuzzin, Lecturer at the State University of Fronteira Sul, experts on the implementation of NAFs who were invited with the support of EUROsociAL, the European Union's programme for social cohesion in Latin America.

Over 50 representatives from various universities, such as Andes, Nacional, Javeriana, Rosario, Externado, Libre, Santo Tomás, Gran Colombia, Uni Minuto, ECCI, Sergio Arboleda and Universidad Cooperativa-Sede Apartadó, accepted the invitation extended by the DIAN to institutions of higher education. Likewise, internal working sessions were held with civil servants to disseminate the implementation strategy.

The week of work culminated with the signing of a letter of understanding in which the DIAN and the 12 higher education institutions state their commitment to launching the initiative in the near future. 

The NAFs are already present, with the support of EUROsociAL, in over 100 universities in eight Latin American countries.

The activity was coordinated by FIIAPP within the framework of the working line for strengthening tax education programmes in Latin America.