Tycoons under hunt for suspected huge tax-dodging

Five big shots are currently under scanner to dig out alleged tax evasion by the individuals and their associate businesses as the revenue intelligence cracks down following the regime change.
Sources say the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) has moved to look into tax files of Summit Group founder-chairman Aziz Khan, Orion Group chief Mohammad Obaidul Karim, Beximco Group's co-founder and vice-chairman Salman F Rahman, Nasa Group chairperson Nazrul Islam Mazumder, Banshundhara Group founder Ahmed Akbar Sobhan.
Official sources say initially, the CIC will work on their individual tax files to find any mismatch against their actual wealth and paid taxes.
The intelligence unit will issue letters to all banks and non-banking financial institutions this week to furnish bank-account details, credit card and other financials of those five big businesses.
"Taxmen have yet to take a decision to look into their corporate tax files but their companies' tax information may come under review as the individuals are owners of those companies," says one official.
They say taxmen have all income and asset details of the taxpayers to investigate their financials.
As per section-200 of the Income Tax Law 2023, the NBR is empowered to seek bank-account information of a taxpayer against his Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) if they suspect any tax evasion.
Banks and NBFIs are bound to provide the account information to the taxmen as per law. The tax law has a penal provision in case of non-cooperation by the bank officials in providing requisite information of bank-account transactions.
Recently -- following the fall of the past government in a student-mass uprising -- tax zone-15 of the NBR issued bank-account search notices of Awami League Presidium member Sheikh Selim and business-tycoon S.Alam's family members.
Officials have said following widespread allegations by some large businessmen, who "monopolized the market", the CIC decided to scrutinize their tax files.
It has been learnt that S. Alam's wife, Farzana Parveen, has already deposited Tk 8.0 million in taxes after the taxmen started a recheck of her tax files by collecting bank-account information.
The NBR's move against what is dubbed 'oligarchs' comes after the mass upsurge forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to end her 15-year rule on August 5, 2024.

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