News item | 02-10-2025 | 09:00
The Tax and Customs Administration modernizes the digital workplace for its employees and those of the customs and service surcharges by switching to Microsoft365 (M365). That is the outcome of careful preparation in which different scenarios have been weighed. The switch is only about the office automation of colleagues at the implementing services. The applications and data storage of the primary processes for the levy and the collection continue to run in their own data center in Apeldoorn. This is today announced today in a letter to the Lower House of State Secretary Heijnen of tax authorities, tax authorities and customs – following other government organizations.
The modernization applies to the 46,000 employees of the Tax Authorities, Customs and Service Surcharges. The choice of switching to M365 is part of a careful process where safety, functionality and availability are central. With the switch to M365, employees gain access to an environment that meets all the requirements that will also be implemented in the future. This allows employees to work together more efficiently and more flexibly and citizens and companies are helped faster. Moreover, a switch is required because the maintenance of the current environment is becoming increasingly expensive and knowledge increasingly scarce.
Run -up and considerations
That is why the process was started in 2021 to make the switch to a new workplace with more modern functionalities and better security. In connection with the geopolitical and social developments surrounding the use of the cloud by government organizations, the Tax Authorities have waited for the final implementation. The service first worked out and weighed a number of alternative scenarios carefully.
In addition, explicit attention is also paid to risks such as disruptions as a result of potentially changing geopolitical relationships. The Tax and Customs Administration has drawn up an extensive risk analysis and also made additional agreements with the supplier. An example of this is that data is processed and stored in data centers within the European Economic Area (EEA). An exit strategy is also implemented if (suddenly) a departure from the cloud environment should take place. In this way, services to citizens and companies, even in unforeseen circumstances, remain safe and reliable.
Digital autonomy
The choice to make the switch to M365 is currently the only realistic option to be able to continue to work future -proof and service. At the same time, the Tax Authorities remain in favor of strengthening digital autonomy. That is why the Tax and Customs Administration will also contribute to the Dutch Digitalization Strategy (NDS) in the coming years and the aim of working together on an exploration of a government -wide sovereign cloud service.