ACC chairman Iqbal Mahmud said,’Legal action will be taken against tax frauds’.
Terming the person who is not taxable to tax the government or the state, the Corruption Commission (ACC) chairman Iqbal Mahmud has said, “Legal action will be taken against tax evaders. Along with the tax officials, we will also find tax frauds”.
He said this while addressing the inaugural function of the Anti-Corruption Commission Officers ‘Special Training Course on Income Tax Law and Regulations’ and ‘Refreshers Training Course of Advantage Commissioners’ at Shantinagar BCS Tax Academy in the capital on Sunday.
NBR Member Md Alamgir Hossain, ACC Director General AKM Sohail and Director General of BCS Tax Academy Lutful Azim spoke at the function presided over by National Revenue Board Member (Tax Administration) Arifa Shahana.
Iqbal Mahmud said,’ACC does not work to collect taxes. But those who are defrauding taxes are working to bring them under the law. Our clear declaration, those tax evaders, should be punished. This is why NBR cooperation is essential. It is possible to punish the fraudsters through coordinated initiatives without informing the ACC fraudsters’.
He said, ‘In order to take legal action against tax frauds, the ACC officials have to have a fair understanding of the tax laws. For the first time, ACC officials have organized training on tax law’.
The ACC chairman suggested opening the tax identification number or tax file for every citizen of the country to expand the tax base.
He said everyone with a national identity card should have an income tax file. Not everyone has to pay taxes if they have income tax file. Only the person who is taxable will pay tax. ‘
He complained that many foreign workers working in Bangladesh were evading taxes, adding that foreigners were working at various stages of the private sector, including development projects. But they are not paying taxes properly. They are forfeiting the money of the people of my country and taking it to their country. It has to stop. For this, he advised the Investment Development Authority (BIDA), the Immigration Department and the Revenue Authority to work together.
Mentioning that only 12 lakh people are paying taxes in a country of 16 crore people, the ACC chairman said the purpose of the tax officials is to say, “The number of home and flat owners in Dhaka and Chittagong city. Get it out. Get trade license holder information. Then you will see that the number of taxpayers has increased. ”
“Sustainable development in the country cannot be ensured if the tax-GDP ratio is not increased,” he said.35 ACC officers and 25 tax officers are participating in the five-day training workshop.
Dhaka Bureau Chief, February 17,2020