Government's revenue authority has amended the tax-card policy to widen the scope of honouring greater number of taxpayers as tax VIPs at national level.
Officials said the National Board of Revenue (NBR) amended the policy in principle and it would now require approval by government higher authority to be implemented.
Under individual category, senior citizens, injured freedom fighters, people with disability, women and young taxpayers will receive the tax card, according to the draft policy.
Under company criteria, commercial banks, non-banking financial institutions, telecommunications, print and electrinic media, engineering, food and beverage, energy, jute, spinning and textiles, phamacuticals and chemicals, real-estate companies will receive the card.
Apart from companies and individuals, other taxpayers like firms, local authorities, individual societies will receive the honours.
A high-powered committee, comprising income tax officials, prepared draft the 'National Tax Card Policy 2010 (amended)' with these provisions. The amended policy is expected to be introduced next fiscal year.
A total of 101 taxpayers will receive tax card, a status symbol accorded by the state, under the updated policy.
Of the total, 50 tax cards will be provided to individuals under different categories followed by 40 for corporate taxpayers and 11 for other categories of taxpayers.
Currently, 10 individuals and 10 companies receive the national award in the form of tax card for their contribution to the public exchequer.
The government every year hands over the tax card to the top taxpayers on the occasion of celebration of income tax day on September 15.
In the draft policy, the NBR included a new category under the nomenclature 'other types' of companies for highest payment of tax.
For individual taxpayers, there would be 14 categories for awarding tax card.
There would be five tax cards each for senior citizens, woman taxpayers and injured freedom fighters who paid the highest amount of tax.
People with disability and young taxpayers (under 40) will get two and three tax cards respectivly.
According to the 'source of income' or profession, some 30 taxpayers will receive tax cards under business, salaried, physician, journalist, lawyer, engineer, architect, and accountant catagories.
As per the draft policy, the highest taxpayer who will be nominated for tax card must have paid tax regularly in the last five years. The tax card-awarded individual taxpayers will not be eligible to be nominated for district-level highest and long-term income-tax payers.
Taxpayers would be nominated on the basis of current year's payment of tax. Souce of income for individual taxpayers will be considered for the nomination.
Tax paid by government or other authority on behalf of the company or individual will not be considered as tax paid by the company, the draft policy says.
In case of tax-related disputes in appeal, taxpayers can be nominated for tax card on the basis of tax payment as per their regular tax return.
Taxpayers will not be eligible for being nominated for tax card in case of failure in payment of tax by the deadline set by the government for submission of tax returns, any unpaid and undisputed tax, re-opened tax files, non-submission of current year's tax return, any legal proceedings under trial, within five years of the legal action by the court, loan defaulter, loan rescheduled in the year of tax card nomination.
Field-level tax offices have to send the list of eligible taxpayers for awarding tax card within 15th of May every year.
The NBR will have to form a 'tax card nomination committee', headed by Member (tax administration and human resource development), for awarding tax card.
The committee comprises representatives of income tax, customs and VAT wings, the ministry of home affairs, Bangladesh Bank and the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI).
The NBR will scrutinise whether the nominated taxpayers defaulted on loan or tax payment or are accused in any criminal case or already punished by the court. It will send letters to the BB and home ministry for collecting those pieces of information.
The taxmen will have to take written 'no objection' approval from the taxpayers on acceptance of the tax card.
The tax card remains valid for one year. After one year, the taxpayers will have to return the card to the NBR.
A tax card-holder can enjoy priority service in purchase of air, rail and waterway tickets, services and booking in government hospitals for him and his family members, can use commercially important person (CIP) lounge in the airport and priority in getting booking in posh and other hotels.
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