Dhaka: National Board of Revenue (NBR) has put a strong vigilance mechanism in place to keep tax evasion in check.

Official sources confirmed the UNB that NBR took the move as it does not want to underachieve its set goal of collecting a hefty Tk 2,96,201 crore revenue in financial year 2018-19, reports the UNB.   

NBR has asked the Investigation and Intelligence Cell (IIC) formed in each of its tax zones to strengthen their vigilance aiming to contain the tax evasion.

‘As part of the programme to catch the tax evaders the NBR has asked the IIC to take effective steps regarding the matter,’ a senior official of the NBR told UNB.

The directive was given at a recent meeting with the field level officials of the revenue collecting authority at the conference room of the NBR.

The NBR has asked the officials to look into the large taxpayers’ files properly. ‘They will send report to the Board regularly on their activities,’ the NBR senior official said.

There are 31 tax zones across the country and each tax zones have 22 circle offices. These offices collect taxes directly.

The IIC has been formed in each tax zones with the commissioners of the respective tax zones as the head of the IIC.

The NBR official said that the aim of the IIC is to identify the evaders – individual or organisation.

‘By ensuring this it would be possible to increase the tax collection and the people will be discouraged to evade tax,’ he hoped.

He mentioned that the Cell will audit the big taxpayers and find out whether there is any incidence of income hiding, check previous income declaration and hold regular meetings with them.

Besides, the NBR has asked the field level offices to remain vigil regarding the evading of taxes by the individual taxpayers.

There will be a regular yearly Tax Fair in the next month and after that the field offices will further enhance their vigilance.

‘Generally we wait for the last date of the income return submission date and after that we intensify our drive,’ a field level tax official told UNB.

There are over 35 lakh e-TIN holders in the country now, a number considered very low for a country of 17 crore population.  

For fiscal year 2018-19, the government has set the total revenue target – tax and non-tax revenue - at Tk 3,39,280 crore. Of the total amount, the NBR has been tasked to source Tk 2,96,201 crore.