NBR detects evasion of Tk 8.7b in tax

Its two wings scan over 2,800 cases

Doulot Akter Mala 

Income tax intelligence and investigation cells across the country have uncovered tax evasion worth Tk 8.71 billion.

The two wings of the National Board of Revenue (NBR) have detected the evasion after scrutinising some 2,847 cases since their inception.

According to revenue board data, the cells have so far logged some 3,881 allegations of tax evasion from various sources and means including written, verbal and telephonic.

Of the allegations, it has detected tax evasion in 73.35 per cent cases.

Audit, intelligence and investigation wing of the income tax department recently compiled the data until March 2018 of a total of 31 investigation and intelligence cells (IIC) in each of the tax zones.

The wing recently submitted details and summary of the compiled data of evaded taxes and other findings to the chairman of NBR.

In the data, the board has found that field-level income tax zones have identified evidences of tax evasion in majority of the allegations and information collected by the cells.

The NBR formed the intelligence and investigation cells between December 2016 to January 2017 at each of its tax zones for unearthing tax evasion and dealing with suspected tax files.

The field-level tax officials have initially selected 2,216 cases for investigation. Until March last, the cells realised Tk 160 million evaded taxes by resolving some 657 cases. However, some Tk 8.55 billion evaded taxes, detected by the cells, remained unrealised.

Some field offices, including zone-four and zone-seven of Dhaka, zone-four in Chittagong, Gazipur and Khulna zones could not place any demand and recovery against detected tax evasion, according to the NBR data.

Income tax zone-four of Dhaka, however, found the highest number of allegations to be 1,039, of which it primarily found incidences of tax evasion in 1,038 allegations.

Income tax zone-14 of Dhaka detected the highest amount of tax evasion from 89 cases. The amount was Tk 6.69 billion.

Tax zone-five, Dhaka has found evasion worth Tk 842 million followed by tax zone-eight, Dhaka with Tk 270 million.

Tax zone-10, Dhaka realised Tk 34 million in evaded taxes.

Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU) realised Tk 33.8 million and Mymensingh tax zone recovered Tk 21.3 million during the period.

Officials said the income tax department has no separate directorate for investigation and intelligence.

Value Added Tax (VAT) and Customs wings have two separate directorates for conducting investigation and intelligence activities.

Considering the necessity, all of the tax zones have formed a cell in their respective tax zones following an instruction from the NBR.

Earlier, income tax-related investigations were only conducted by the Central Intelligence Cell (CIC), along with customs and VAT-related cases.

• Courtesy: The Financial Express /Jul 29, 2018