Xuzhou tax authority moves performance management onto a digital footing

Xuzhou's tax bureau has tied performance assessment to the tax administration foundation project. It set 17 indicators across five categories including collection, service and risk control, plus a digital-drive criterion; the city bureau handles strategy-level measures while grassroots units handle execution items, with 17 frontline observers relaying feedback. After more than 70 suggestions it stopped extending three criteria to 12 county-level bureaus and cut second-level indicators by 20% and criteria by over 30%. Incentives include innovation bonus points for teams and special-contribution points for individuals, alongside training in data-driven tax administration; the resulting youth projects include a one-chart-five-table tool for housing and land taxes, a smart corporate income tax settlement review tool and digital auditing, one of which the provincial bureau promoted, and 430 skilled staff were selected. The article flags weak local adaptation of indicators, performance and business systems that are not connected so scoring and data collection still rely on manual work, and underuse of results; it recommends dynamic indicators, embedding digital tools into business processes, and using big data models to scan high-risk links such as enforcement, approval and refunds.