National Board of Revenue (NBR) Chairman Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan on Sunday differed with the Anti-Corruption Commission's (ACC) report on corruption in its Income Tax Wing.
Responding to queries of newsmen, he said ACC should not target NBR's tax or customs wings only. Corruption is prevailing in other government departments also.
"If impartial enquiry is conducted, different types of corruption will be detected in ACC too," he said.
Recently, an institutional committee of ACC submitted a report on NBR to Cabinet Division, identifying 13 sources of corruption in Income Tax Wing.
"We will not allow ACC to set up its office in NBR by raising such allegations," the NBR chairman said.
ACC can investigate as per the legal provisions in the tax laws, he added.
Mr. Bhuiyan made these statements at a meet the press programme on NBR premises on the occasion of Income Tax Fair 2018, scheduled to be held on November 13-19.
He said the tax authority proposed the cabinet to amend Representation of Public Order (RPO) for making submission of tax clearance certificate mandatory for election candidates.
However, the proposal was sent back, considering sensitivity of the issue just ahead of the national election.
Meanwhile, Election Commission on October 31 said tax return submission is not mandatory for the candidates although it is compulsory in Income Tax Ordinance 1984.
However, the NBR chairman declined to comment on the issue to avoid controversy ahead of the election.
"We will not chase the candidates unless they submit tax returns willingly."
He, however, said NBR will gear up its efforts to ensure compliance of the people's representatives after the election.
The tax authority has a target to increase the number of Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) to 5.0 million, the NBR chief said.
"We will conduct door-to-door surveys and also take help of the city corporations to increase the number of taxpayers."
To automate the tax administration, NBR will select some software companies that are interested to provide support in this regard.
For successful operation of e-payment, some provisions of the tax laws have to be amended, he noted.
On revenue collection performance, the NBR chairman said the board has responded to the pleas of providing fiscal incentives by businesses and other sensitive sectors.
"We will continue our efforts to offset the revenue shortfall in the first quarter of the current fiscal year (FY), 2018-19."
The district-level tax offices have already received instructions to find out new taxpayers from businesses by fixing respective targets.
In the meeting, the NBR chairman gave details on facilities that will be available in the income tax fair.
"In the weeklong fair, the taxpayers will enjoy some facilitates that are not available in the tax offices," he added.
Tax fair will be held from November 13 to 19 in Dhaka and other divisional cities. In district towns, it will be held for four days during the period. The fair will be held for two days in 32 upazilas, and single-day mobile tax fair will be held in 70 upazilas.
E-TIN, e-payment of tax, savings certificates, booths of three banks - Sonali, Janata and Basic, help desk, and separate booths for senior citizens, women and physically-challenged people etc will be available in the tax fair.
On the occasion of tax fair, NBR will honour top taxpayers with tax cards on November 12.
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