NBR move to realise tax from evaders suffers setback

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The government's move to realise taxes evaded by suspected tax dodgers from their property seized by the authorities concerned has got stuck up in legal tangle.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) initiated the move on October last to issue demand notice for deducting tax from the seized property worth nearly Tk 750 million. But it is facing a setback as the suspected tax dodgers have gone to higher court against the verdicts given by lower courts.

The revenue board has filed tax evasion cases against large tax dodgers for realising evaded taxes from the seized property, but it is now unable to initiate any move to expedite the measures, they said.

The NBR is yet to calculate the amount due from the tax dodgers. Tax rates might be determined as per existing income tax law or as per court order, they added.

The NBR has approved filing of 45 cases against large tax evaders.

The board has so far filed cases against 31 suspected tax evaders. It has received court verdict in 28 cases.

On the basis of NBR's tax evasion cases, the government seized property of a number of leading businessmen and politicians.

Officials said the NBR is now filing cases which were approved earlier. The board may not approve new cases against tax evaders.

They said the seized property would be under government custody until the cases are settled in the higher court.

The government has seized property worth Tk 220 million of Akbar Ali Sobhan, the owner of Basundhara Group and his family, followed by Tk 170 million of former BNP lawmaker Ali Ajgar Labi, Tk 60 million of Mosaddek Ali Falu and his wife, Tk 3.7 million of Shahjahan Siraj and his family and Tk 1.3 million of Mirza Khokon.