The National Board of Revenue has formulated draft rules to give service providing agencies access to its online database so that the agencies can verify the authenticity of taxpayer’s identification numbers of the service seekers, officials of the NBR said. They said a committee of the NBR had already submitted the draft rules to the revenue board facilitating service providing agencies to crosscheck the e-TINs submitted by the people along with their applications for the services.
Income tax wing of the revenue board will soon finalise the rules for incorporating the provision in the Income Tax Rules-1984, they said.
Under the rules, each agency will be provided with a user identification number.
There will be a dedicated web site containing the details of e-TIN holders and the agencies will verify the authenticity of the provided e-TINs before delivering the services, a high official of the NBR told New Age on Tuesday.
The provision will prevent using fake TINs and at the same time bring the possible income taxpayers under the tax net, he said.
Many people submit fake TIN certificates to dodge taxes as service providing agencies have no mechanism to crosscheck the validity of the submitted tax-related documents, the official said.
Under the access facility, service providing agencies will be able to check whether a TIN certificate is valid or not. They (agencies), however, will not be allowed to see any other information of taxpayers.
According to the article 184A of Income Tax Ordinance-1984, submission of TIN certificates is mandatory for getting more than 30 services from government offices and private organisations including Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, gas and electricity supplying authorities, land registration offices, city corporations and banks.
Submission of TIN certificates is mandatory for opening letter of credit for import, renewing trade licence, submitting tender documents, purchasing land and apartments, registration and renewal of fitness of cars and heavy vehicles, getting loans and credit cards from banks, getting gas and electricity connection for commercial purpose and getting practicing licence by doctors, chartered accountants, cost and management accountants, lawyers and income tax practitioners.
If the authorities find any TIN is fake or invalid, they will have to inform the matter instantly to the responsible officers of the revenue board, the officials said.
The revenue board will take action against the fake e-TIN providers in line with the ordinance.
According to the ordinance, the deputy commissioner of taxes can impose a penalty up to Tk 20,000 for use of a fake TIN. For continuous use of a fake TIN deliberately, there is a provision of three years of imprisonment or imposition of fine up to Tk 50, 000 or both.
-With New Age input
