Published in The Daily Star on Monday, 15 September 2014.
Special cards for 402 top taxpayers today
Star Business Report
The National Board of Revenue will honour 402 top and long-term taxpayers today, in an effort to encourage better compliance and boost income tax collections.
Forty taxpayers, comprising companies and individuals, will be honoured for paying the highest tax at the national level in fiscal 2012-13 and fiscal 2013-14.
The NBR will also honour 362 taxpayers from 64 districts and nine city corporations.
The payers will get ‘tax cards’ for paying highest tax nationally. AMA Muhith, finance minister, is expected to hand out the cards at a programme at Sonargaon Hotel in Dhaka.
“It is an initiative worth continuing. It may encourage taxpayers to be recognised for their compliance,” said Ahsan H Mansur, executive director of Policy Research Institute.
The NBR will honour the top taxpayers, marking Income Tax Day today which the tax collector has been organising since 2008 to motivate people in a country rife with tax-dodging and non-compliance to pay taxes regularly.
At present, less than 1 percent of the 16 crore population pays taxes. The revenue authority thinks the number should be higher, given that the country has been experiencing steady economic growth, rising income and a growing middle-class.
The NBR also organises tax fairs throughout the country to help taxpayers do tax-related jobs at the fair without having to visit the tax offices. The fair, which is being organised since 2010, is gaining popularity.
Towfiqul Islam Khan, research fellow of Centre for Policy Dialogue, said honouring taxpayers with tax cards is a good initiative.
“It has symbolic value. It may also help tax card winners earn respect in society.”
“But the tax authority should also go against tax evasion and unmask the tax evaders to society to create instances of reward and punishment to ensure compliance.”
This is the third time the government is going to honour top taxpayers with cards, which will give winners some privileges, such as invitations to government functions and seat reservation priority in the state-run airline, trains and water transport.
Winners will also be able to use the lounge for commercially important persons at the airports with the one-year valid card.
Tax card winners, along with their family members, will easily get cabins at government hospitals as well.