RAJSHAHI, Feb 16, 2019 (BSS)- Rajshahi zone has realized income taxes of
Taka 385.68 crore in the first seven months of the current 2018-19 fiscal
year up by Taka 39.55 crore than corresponding months of the previous fiscal.
Number of taxpayers has also been stood to 2,20,330 during this financial
year from 2,14,137 of the previous one in the zone consisting with the
districts of Rajshahi, Naogaon, Natore, Chapainawabganj and Pabna.
While talking to BSS, Commissioner of Taxes Dr Khandakar Ferdous Alam said
here today income taxes worth around Taka 43.18 crore were collected from
1,12,121 returns submitted till the same time.
He said the number of taxpayers is increasing gradually adding that the
growth rate is significant. To expand the tax network, various motivational
campaigns like spot assessment, survey and rewards for the taxpayers have
been introduced.
Every working day, a large number of taxpayers are coming to the help desk
functioning at the Commissionerate’s office premises directly to know how
they will pay taxes.
Income taxes of over Taka 15.53 crore were collected in the last year’s
week-long tax fair. Around 66,136 taxpayers including many new ones received
services and 28,503 returns were submitted. The fair helps lessening the
panic and anxiety among the public in general about the tax payment and
return submission.
“We got significant response from the taxpayers in the tax fairs,” Dr
Ferdous Alam said, adding that main thrust of the fair was to inspire the
taxpayers in paying more income tax spontaneously coupled with generating
more taxpayers.
He said the zone has fixed target to identify 25,000 new taxpayers in the
current fiscal. Priority is being given on supervising tax curtail on origin
and recovery of unpaid taxes.
Dr Ferdous Alam, however, opined that the extent of tax collection could
have been enhanced furthermore if there were no manpower problem. The zone
has eight upazila income tax offices but have not requisite officers and
staff there since launching.
There is an urgent need of amending the existing related rules for
debarring the TIN-holders, who don’t pay taxes regularly, from taking
certificates. In present survey, significant numbers of non taxpaying TIN-
holders are being spotted. The odd situation is being adjudged as detrimental
to the efforts of making the tax collection process more vibrant, the
Commissioner added.
Sharing his expertise on the issue Prof Abdus Salam, former registrar of
Rajshahi University, said time has come to put more emphasis on quality tax
collection side by side with expanding tax network.
The social watchdog adds priority should be given on mitigating the
existing problems for boosting income tax collection in the greater interest
of hastening the nation’s economic sector.