Tax fairs draw large crowds of taxpayers

The ongoing tax fairs have been able to attract a substantial number of taxpayers, especially the marginal ones. Taxpayers have found a systematic arrangement and hassle-free environment at the fairs for payment of taxes.
Most of the visitors availing voluntary assistance of the taxmen at the fairs are service-holders and professionals.
Tax officials said taxpayers with payable annual income tax of around Tk 10,000 to Tk 20,000 are thronging the tax fair in the Dhaka city to submit their tax returns personally.
AKM Badiul Alam, an additional tax commissioner of taxes, said taxpayers who want to avoid unnecessary expenditure on payment of taxes through lawyers or middle-men are coming to the tax fairs.
"We are providing voluntary services to educate taxpayers at the fair. Senior tax officials are supervising the activities of the tax-fair to ensure better services," he said.
Enthusiasm visible among taxpayers has also encouraged the tax officials to provide better services in the week-long tax fairs, Mr Alam added.
Sadrullah A Mansur, vice president and chief operating officer (COO) of a private company NNCL, said he went to the tax fair for the first time this year after he heard a lot of appreciation of services rendered there.
"I found an excellent environment in the fair for submission of tax returns. Tax booths are found to be eager to offer services to the taxpayers. This was unimaginable earlier," he said.
 "In the tax fair, I found the deputy commissioners of taxes dealing with taxpayers in open spaces in front of media and other people. I am really impressed by the arrangement made by the tax authority," he said
AFM Mainul Haque, another taxpayer at the tax fair in Dhaka, said the very environment of tax fair attracts the taxpayers to come to the fair premises.
Mr Haque, who works for the Bangladesh Sugar and Food Industries Corporation under the Ministry of Industries, submits tax returns every year at the tax fair.
He appreciated the government's efforts to arrange such an occasion to make payment of income tax easy.
Md Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, another additional commissioner of income tax wing, said the tax fairs have helped brighten the image of the income tax wing among the people.
"Taxpayers are talking to the taxmen without fear of harassment. Through the voluntary services, we have been able to ensure a friendly-environment for taxpayers," he added.      
Last Saturday's drizzles throughout the day could hardly dampen the spirit of taxpayers who thronged the fair venue as usual.
In the last five days, the National Board of Revenue (NBR) provided services to some 4,49,793 taxpayers. Of them, some 90,739 submitted tax returns paying Tk 10.96 billion in income taxes. Some 10,795 new taxpayers also obtained new Taxpayers Identification Numbers (TIN) at the tax fairs across the country.
The tax fairs will end on Monday (September 22).

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