Field-level income tax and Value Added Tax (VAT) offices across the country observed 'Halkhata' festival on Sunday, and realised a significant amount of arrear tax from the taxpayers.
According to a provisional figure, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) received Tk 3.88 billion arrear income tax on the occasion.
Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU) under VAT Wing received Tk 31.3 million tax from four large corporate houses - Aristopharma, Dhaka Tobacco, Renata and Transcom.
LTU fetched a total of Tk 344.8 million income tax.
Dhaka (East) Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionarate received Tk 58.2 million VAT on Sunday.
Officials said the final data of revenue collection during the festival will be made available today (Monday).
Tax and VAT officers greeted taxpayers with gifts and sweets as well as decorated their offices to observe the festival on the occasion of the beginning of Bangla New Year 1425.
The NBR offices also organised cultural programmes on their premises to observe the day. NBR Chairman Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and other senior board members visited some of the tax offices in the capital to encourage taxpayers and greet them.
NBR observed the festival for the second time. Last year, the board received Tk 5.66 billion income tax, VAT and customs duty on the day.
Speaking at a programme at Dhaka (East) Customs, Excise and VAT Commissionarate, NBR Member (VAT policy) Rezaul Hasan said the festival was arranged to create awareness among the tax and VAT payers.
Member (income tax administration and human resource management) Zia Uddin Mahmood said the income tax collection during 'Halkhata' festival is likely to stand at Tk 4.0 billion after compilation of final data.
"Our aim behind arranging the festival was to bridge the gap between taxmen and taxpayers, rather than collecting revenue."
Taxmen found spontaneous response and participation of taxpayers during the festival, he added.
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