The National Board of Revenue on Sunday rewarded 403 income taxpayers from across the country in recognition to their contributions as the highest and long-time taxpayers.
The NBR handed over tax cards, crests and certificates to the taxpayers at seven different programmes in divisional headquarters organised on the occasion of the National Income Tax Day-2013.
Among the taxpayers, the revenue board awarded 40 individual and corporate taxpayers for paying the highest tax at national level for the fiscal years 2010-11 and FY 2011-12, 10 individual and 10 corporate taxpayers for each year, with tax cards, crests and certificates at a programme held at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel on the day.
The NBR awarded remaining 363 taxpayers, three highest taxpayers and two long-time taxpayers from each city corporation and district, with crests and certificates.
The highest individual and corporate taxpayers at national level, 70 highest and long-time individual taxpayers of Dhaka City Corporations and 13 districts of Dhaka division have been awarded at a programme held at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel on the day.
The rest of the winners from city corporations and districts of other divisions got awards at the programmes at divisional headquarters.
Finance minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith handed over the tax cards, crests and certificates to the national level recipients in Dhaka.
At the programme, Muhith urged people for paying income tax regularly as a responsibility to the society.
‘People should pay tax considering as liability to the society,’ he said.
Relationship between taxmen and taxpayers has developed much in five years along with positive development in tax administration resulting in 220 per cent growth in revenue collection, he said.
‘But we did not bring much change in corporate taxation as the current corporate taxation system, particularly slabs in tax rates for different types of businesses, is not rational,’ he said.
He said, ‘I hope, next government will change the corporate taxation systems.’
The taxmen will have to reach tax service to the doorstep of the taxpayers and ensure such environment so that taxpayers get hassle-free services and do not fear the tax officials, he said.
The Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry president Kazi Akram Uddin Ahmed demanded for providing violence-free and business-friendly environment for businessmen.
‘Provide us a violence-free and business friendly
environment, we will pay more tax to the government,’ he said.
He also called upon the business community for paying tax regularly.
Salahuddin Kasem Khan, tax card recipient as the highest individual taxpayer for FY 2010-11 and FY 2011-12, urged the government for formulation of a task force for attracting foreign direct investment in the country and institutionalising Zakat management for mobilising more domestic resources.
Kasem, managing director of AK Khan Company Ltd, which was also awarded as the highest corporate taxpayers for both the fiscal years, also urged the government for approving National Skill Development Act in the ongoing session of the parliament.
MA Haider Hossain, a tax card recipient as individual taxpayer for both the fiscal years, told New Age that the NBR should implement e-filing of income tax returns in order to reduce hassle of the taxpayers.
The NBR should expand tax net to mobilise more revenue from domestic sources, he said.
NBR chairman Ghulam Hussain said that the NBR is going to organise the week-long tax fair to begin today in seven divisional headquarters and two-day fairs at all districts from September 16 to 22 for providing hassle-free services related to income tax to the taxpayers.
-With New Age input
