NBR rejects Khaleda's latest disclosure of additional income

FE Team | Published: October 11, 2007 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

FE Report
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has rejected the latest move by former prime minister Khaleda Zia on disclosure of an additional undisclosed income of nearly Tk 4.0 million, sources said.
The high-ups of the revenue board, which reviewed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) chairperson's gesture, have decided not to accept the disclosure as it is contrary to the country's tax policy, the sources added.
Khaleda, now living in a sub-jail on alleged corruption charges, made the move September 27 to include the additional sum in her tax assessment year of 2004-05 through the jail authority.
"The revenue board can not accept any disclosure of undisclosed money by a person who is facing legal charges in the court," said a senior NBR official.
The former prime minister has already submitted an account-pay cheque for nearly Tk 1.0 million through jail authority on Sonali Bank branch at Dhaka Cantonment against her additional disclosed income.
But the NBR official pointed out that the statutory regularity order (SRO) of the government, which gave the opportunity to the taxpayers to legalise undisclosed income, clearly defines that such opportunity will not be applicable for a person facing trial.
The opportunity of legalising undisclosed income by payment of additional five per cent tax as penalty was offered by the caretaker government (CG) from June to September.
During the four-month period, around 32,585 persons, including the former prime minister and former finance minister M Saifur Rahman availed themselves of the opportunity and declared an undisclosed amount of Tk. 37.75 billion.
However, Khaleda's legal consultant Ahmed Azam Khan finds no reason for the revenue board's rejection of disclosure of the additional amount of income for 2004-05 assessment year.
"I do not understand why the revenue board is not accepting the disclosure of the additional income that has been made to correct assessment of a particular year," Azam told the FE.
The amount was realised by Khaleda as a special allowance on house maintenance. The sum was not included in her previous statement on possession of undisclosed money.
This should not be treated as undisclosed money either. The former prime minister found it suitable to include the amount as the undisclosed money in response to the revenue board's offer, he added.
During the period of her previous appeal, the NBR officials pointed out that Khaleda did not face any charge and there was no legal proceeding against her.
Khaleda disclosed Tk 13.0 million through payment of Tk 3.3 million in tax for the previous five fiscals until 2006-07, which was accepted by the revenue board.
She disclosed highest Tk 11.5 million in income for fiscal 2002-2003 and the amount of undisclosed income in the previous assessment of 2004-05 was only Tk 0.37 million
But the latest initiative was taken at the time when Khaleda along with 11 others, including his youngest son, is facing a graft charge by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) of violating tender conditions in appointing an indenting house for container handling is facing, added the NBR officials.
The ACC framed the corruption charge against her at a police station in early September last and subsequently she was put into a sub-jail.
Besides, the ACC is also investigating at least three other corruption charges against the former prime minister.