The National Board of Revenue (NBR) is all set to organise a weeklong national income tax fair across the country from Wednesday to help widen the tax net as well as ensure increased revenue collection.
The tax fair will be held for seven days in divisional headquarters and four days simultaneously in the district headquarters.
Taxpayers living in upazila’s are going to get tax services and education as the taxes authorities are organising the fair for the first time in 86 upazilas under 49 districts to make people more aware about the significances and benefits of paying taxes.
Among them, 29 upazilas will observe it for two days while 57 upazilas will observe it for a day in their convenience schedule in the week.
The taxpayers will be able to receive different one-stop services including registration of electronic taxpayers identification number, submission of income tax return and online payment facilities etc.
Along with the regular activities, the fair will also have the booths of value-added tax and customs wings of the NBR. The Department of National Savings will also set up its booth at the fair.
There will be booths of Sonali Bank and Janata Bank to facilitate financial transactions.
The tax authorities last year bagged over Tk1,675crore revenue from 1,49,309 income tax returns submitted in a weeklong tax fair.
The amount is expected to be much higher this year, as 86 upazilas have come under the fair jurisdiction.
A total of 6,49,185 people received different services from the income tax fare last year while a total of 15,907 people registered with the electronic taxpayers’ identification numbers while 10,838 people re-registered with e-TINs
Income tax day tomorrow:
On September 15, the board will also award tax cards to the entrepreneurs considering their contribution to the national exchequer.
A press conference will disclose the details of the fair, and the preparations for national income tax day 2015 at the NBR headquarters in the capital.
The NBR will recognize 20 highest top individual taxpayers and companies with the prestigious tax cards for paying the highest income tax at the national level in FY2014-15. A total of 10 individual taxpayers and 10 corporate taxpayers will be awarded for their immense contribution to the national exchequer. The board will award the taxpayers at a function on September 15 marking the National Income Tax Day 2015.
The card-holders will have the privilege to attend the state programme and get priority in transport while their family members will also get priority in medical services.
The board will also award 367 long term and highest taxpayers in the country tomorrow to create awareness among individuals about the importance of paying tax.
The board has picked a total of 50 taxpayers from all 10-city corporations, including two as long time taxpayers and three as highest taxpayers from each city corporation for their immense contribution to the national exchequer in the fiscal year 2014-15.
The NBR is assigned to collect a gigantic revenue collection target of Tk176,370 crore for the fiscal year 2015-16. Of the amount, the lion share of Tk65,932 crore will come from income tax.
Ctg to introduce innovative services for collecting Tk8, 000cr:
With am aim at touching the landmark collection of Tk8, 000 crore for the fiscal 2015-16 through introducing new and innovative services for the tax payers, a weeklong Income Tax Fair-2015 is going to begin on Wednesday in the port city Chittagong.
Though the income tax collection was Tk6, 204 crore in the last fiscal, which was a bit short of collection target, the officials are quite optimistic to fulfill their targets this fiscal year as the people are now more aware about paying their due taxes, said Commissioner Apurbo Kanti Das of Chittagong Taxation-2.
Chittagong Taxation (Appeal) Administration’s Commissioner Kazi Imdadul Haque said, “This year we’ve taken many innovative measures and service to increase the collection of taxes not only inthe fair but also within the timeline of the Fiscal year.”
On the occasion of the National Income Tax Day on Wednesday, the fair will be held at the ground adjoining of Chittagong Government Offices Building-2 at Agrabad area in the port city while Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain is expected to inaugurate the day and the fair as chief guest.
With an objective to make the general people and taxpayers aware about their tax payment, the fair organisers have arranged mobile tax fairs at upazila and district levels in Chittagong, introducing separates space for Customs, VAT and Directorate of Savings and many others facilities, said Commissioner Kazi Imdadul.
The commissioner, also the convener of the National Income Tax Day-2015 Observation Committee in Chittagong’s Taxation, said this while addressing a press conference at the conference hall of Agrabad Tax Zone-1 commissioner’s office in the port city yesterday.
In his written statement, the convener said, “The National Income Tax Day-2015 will be observed through bringing out a rally and holding a procession at the premises of CGO Building-1 at 8:30am on Wednesday while the chief guest will lead the procession.”
After the rally, the National Board of Revenue will honour the highest and long-time taxpayers of Chittagong at a function while Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin will be present at the programme as chief gust, he said.
This year, income tax fair will be held at Cox’s Bazar district for four days under the supervision of Chittagong Income Taxation Department while a two-day fair will be held at Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagracchari districts.
Besides, a daylong mobile tax fair will be held at Chittagong’s Anwara, Patiya, Lohagara, Chandanaish, Raozan, Hathazari, Sitakunda, Boalkhali and Satkania upazilas and Cox’s Bazar’s Teknaf upazila while Cox’s Bazar Chokoria upazila gets a two-days fair under the supervision of Chittagong Income Taxation Department.
Apart from these, visitors can also know many information and service about Customs, VAT and Directorate of Savings from the fair as the bodies would have separate booths this year for the first time, the organiser said.
To ensure all sorts of service about income tax without any hazard, this year separate desks will be introduced for the physically challenged, female and elderly visitors while a help desk will also be set up.
The press conference was attended by the commissioners of four taxation regions under Chittagong Taxation Department-Md Dabir Uddin, Apurbo Kanti Das, Md Nazrul Islam and Pradyut Kumar Sarkar.
A total 2,80,217 taxpayers in Chittagong under four regions, said an income tax official.