Muhith wants income tax law simplified
Finance Minister AMA Muhith yesterday stressed the need for re-formulation of the existing income tax law to make it easier through proper review in a bid to encourage the people to pay taxes.
People think they will face unnecessary hassle when they pay taxes. If the Self Assessment section of the income tax law is amended making it easier, people will pay tax willingly, he said.
However, he also suggested that the humanitarian issues be considered while amending the tax law to avoid any hassle for the tax payers.
The minister made these comments while inaugurating the Tax Information and Service Centre installed by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) at the Secretariat in the capital yesterday.
Many people do not pay tax only as they fear hassle, said Muhith, and suggested the NBR to encourage the people to pay taxes by providing them adequate information.
He also suggested the officials of the NBR to cooperate with the people while paying taxes, so that they do not think that the NBR is forcing them into tax payment.
Out of about 16 core people, only 17 lakhs people pay taxes and it should be increased to 30 lakhs, the minister said.
Muhith said the tax fairs organised by the NBR and their information centres can play an important role in providing information to the people.
State Minister for Finance and Planning MA Mannan, speaking at the programme, said the government is organising tax fairs, and has introduced tax information and service centres to expedite the tax collection.
Cabinet Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said most of the government officials will come under the income tax net after implementation of the new pay scale.
NBR Chairman M Mujibur Rahman said the target of this new centre is to give information to secretariat officials and employees over submission of their tax returns. Other people can also take service from the centre, he added.
