A Day at the Tax Office

Aug 16 , 2025
By Kidist Yidnekachew

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I have reached a conclusion: many people struggle to sit quietly and let public servants do their work. Instead, interruptions occur every few minutes, slowing progress, or attempts are made to bypass queues entirely. This behaviour appears in banks, markets, and, most noticeably, in revenue collection offices. Such scenes are less an example of mere disorganisation than a reflection of collective chaos.

During my last visit, a crowd had gathered before sunrise, prepared for a long wait. Hours passed on hard benches or in tired lines before reaching the counters. Inside, the same sense of strain persisted, with the system appearing to be on the verge of collapse. Power outages left generators idle, and at peak tax season, staff often skipped lunch to keep up with demand.

The problems extended beyond infrastructure to communication. Some joined queues without confirming their purpose, assuming they were in the right place. Only after long waits did they ask basic questions about the line or required documents. "What is this line for?" or "What documents are needed?" This lack of clarity wasted time for everyone, speaking to a culture of assumption rather than inquiry.

In another corner, a single young employee bore the brunt of the workload, her voice too faint to carry across the crowded hall. The result was a tight circle of people, a physical wall, pressing forward and blocking her workspace, drowning out her calls. This physical and auditory barrier further slowed service, turning an already difficult process into an ordeal. Taxpayers fulfilling their civic duty received no welcome, only the treatment of an inconvenience.

Sitting there and watching all this unfold, possible solutions came to mind. Increasing staff during peak seasons could ease the burden. Sorting queues alphabetically or introducing a ticket-based numbering system would bring order to the process. A respectful, efficient process would benefit both citizens and staff, fostering a culture of mutual consideration.

This visit was not even for making a payment, but for retrieving the amount due. Two years ago, merchants began receiving tax statements by phone, a promising step forward. I thought, "Finally! This is the way it should be done."

Yet administrative errors soon forced a return to in-person registration of names and numbers. A well-intentioned innovation had faltered through poor execution.

Payment methods, at least, have advanced with services like Telebirr and mobile banking. These tools save time, reduce physical queues, and suggest the potential for broader efficiency. However, bureaucratic errors have shifted into the digital realm. Mistakes in billing or payment registration remain common, and the effort required to correct them deters many from attempting to do so.

Such inaction risks creating recurring problems in future tax cycles. The digitalisation of inefficiency threatens to replace one form of frustration with another. A genuine improvement requires both technological competence and reliable follow-through. Without these, the cycle of error and resignation will persist.

Civic behaviour also plays a role in shaping the experience. While persistence is sometimes necessary to receive attention, swarming officials like predators achieve little but heightened tension. It makes their job harder, creates an atmosphere of anxiety, and ultimately makes the collective wait longer. It lengthens the wait for everyone and undermines the dignity of the process.

A more humane approach would include dedicated coordinators to manage queues and answer simple questions. They could shield service staff from interruptions, ensuring the flow of work remains steady. Order would be maintained, frustration reduced, and respect reinforced on both sides of the counter.

This issue, while rooted in one tax office, reflects a wider need for balance between technological progress and human courtesy. Efficient systems, paired with considerate public conduct, would transform such tasks from wearying obligations into smoother, mutually respectful exchanges.

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PUBLISHED ON Aug 16,2025 [ VOL 26 , NO 1320]

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