Govt adopts electronic methods to collect tax

The government has taken new ICT-driven initiatives to boost the volume of revenue collection.

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has started to use individualised calls and SMS to ask taxpayers to comply with tax liabilities, reports myrepublica.com.

"We have also adopted aggressive advertising campaign to propel the taxpayers to clear their half-yearly tax liability and to take benefit from the special tax concession facility pledged through the Financial Regulations 2008/09," the news portal quoted an IRD official as saying.

In accordance to this facility, the government has assured additional exemptions of tax and fines to educational institutions and other firms if they register for VAT by Tuesday.

"Any private firm that has failed to abide by tax directives so far is also entitled to a similar facility if it voluntarily pays 10 percent income tax on the basis of the income they have shown in past audited financial statements," the IRD official was quoted as saying.

Moreover, the government has also urged the taxpayers to pay 40 percent of their anticipated income tax by Tuesday, when the half-yearly account books will be closed.

The government is planning to mobilize about 32 percent more revenue than last fiscal year. nepalnews.com Jan 13 09