The government has proposed to introduce non-adjustable advance tax (AT) for both motorised public transport and goods-carrying vehicles to bring them under common taxation.
The finance bill placed in parliament on Thursday proposed to impose non-adjustable AT of Tk 16,000 for 52-seater bus, Tk 11,500 for below 52-seater bus, Tk 37,500 for air-conditioned (AC) bus, Tk 16,000 for double-deckers and Tk 6,500 for AC minibus/coaster.
Of the goods-carrying vehicles, prime mover will have to pay AT of Tk 24,000, truck lorry and tank lorry with load capacity exceeding 5.0 tonnes Tk 16,000 and those with load capacity exceeding 1.5 tonnes but up to 5.0 tonnes Tk 9,500, while vehicles with load capacity below 1.5 tonnes Tk 4,000, according to the finance bill.
It also proposed to impose AT of Tk 11,500 and Tk 4,000 for AC taxicab and non-AC taxicab respectively.
Tax from these motor vehicles will be collected during registration and fitness renewal. For private vehicles, the AT is adjustable during the filling of tax returns.
However, no AT has been proposed for vehicles used by the government, local government, foreign diplomats, diplomatic missions, UN and its offices, development partners and their affiliated offices.
Vehicles of different projects, programmes or activities under the government and local government, educational institutions under the monthly payment order of the government, public universities and the institutions which have obtained certificate from the NBR are exempt from the AT.
In the railway sector, the budget proposed 15 per cent VAT on the first class railway services in addition to AC services.
Inland ships will have to pay Tk 125 per passenger while cargo, goods-carrying container (multipurpose) and coaster running in inland water Tk 170 per gross tonne and goods-carrying dump barge Tk 125 per gross tonne, according to the proposal.
smunima@yahoo.com