Efforts to find businesses without TIN face a blow

The revenue board's efforts to find out household owners and businesses without TIN faced a blow due to the ongoing political turmoil and blockades.

In January-October period, the tax offices were able to net some 1,22,000 new taxpayers across the country against its target of netting 2,57,000.

Observing the stagnation in the number of new taxpayers, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) sent letters to all its 33 tax offices recently seeking clarification for their failure to archive the targets set for them.

A senior tax official said the NBR had aimed to find out new taxpayers from owners of residential buildings and businesses with the external survey, but it faced a blow following the political uncertainty and lack of cooperation of some tax offices.

The tax offices were able to open tax files of 45,745 people out of the surveyed 2,57,000, he added.

"The board counted only 162 working days out of 270 days of the past nine months to set the target. It is not so difficult to achieve the target for new taxpayers," he opined.

Officials said some of the tax commissioners replied to the board pointing out the political impasse and manpower shortage but NBR declined to accept the excuses. The survey helps the government to collect more revenue compared to that of auditing the tax files, they said.

The NBR received Tk 18 million income taxes from the 45,000 tax files until October, the NBR official said.

"The target for new taxpayers has been given to 650 circles under the 33 tax offices across the country. If we divide the target then each circle has few taxpayers," he said. Talking to the FE some tax commissioners said tax officials cannot conduct the survey as shops and businesses remained shut due to blockades and shutdowns.

Such a situation has not only affected economic activities and but also the ongoing survey, they added.