Taxpayers on the last day of the seven-day income tax fair demanded hassle free-service.
A good number of visitors told the Dhaka Tribune that they were ready to pay tax, if the tax-paying system remained smooth.
Tax-payers also alleged that a section of unscrupulous tax officials harassed regular taxpayers in different phases.
The fair organised by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) ended in Barisal city on Monday night having collected Tk84.09 lakh in taxes.
Yusuf Ali, a businessman, said he had paid Tk3,000 as income tax for the first time to get a benefit in business-loan.
Whether they would continue to pay tax regularly in the future, the visitors of the fair, said it depends on the initiatives of the NBR to keep the system hassle-free.
The fair started on September 16 with a slogan of ‘Aykorey Prabriddhi, Desh o Daasher Samriddhi’ (Growth in income tax: Prosperity of the country and people) for extending services by tax department to earn confidence and credibility from the tax payers.
During the fair, a total of 242 new tax-payers received TIN, 218 registered for e-TIN, 5,262 get services, 3,501 submitted their income-tax return and Tk8,409,298 collected in taxes under 10 circles, said Swapan Kumar Roy, additional commissioner of taxes Barisal region.
About the allegations of rampant harassment, Abdur Razzak, deputy commissioner of taxes Barisal regional tax office, said: “We are trying to introduce digitalisation of the income-tax system to create public confidence in the tax process by ensuring honest, efficient, transparent and accountable service.
