Make it Easy
- First principle is to consider how to make it easier for someone to do something, pay their taxes on time for example.
- Some ways to ‘make it easy’ include: – Harness the power of defaults (A) – Reduce the ‘hassle factor’ of taking up a service (B) – Simplify messages (C)
- (A) Defaults: tax systems can be put in place that automatically deduct individual’s income tax without individual having to take any action (as in the UK’s Pay-As-You-Earn system). Default option can be powerful tool for encouraging different outcomes.
- (B) Hassle Factor: sending taxpayers directly to a form, rather than a webpage that contains the form, increases response rates by 4% points.
* EAST: Four simple ways to apply behavioural insights, The Behavioral Insights Team