Tax fair turns festive
More than Taka479 crore collected in the 2nd day
An income tax fair is not the kind of fair that you look forward to. But this year's fair on Friday, at the Officers' Club in Dhaka, seemed different.
People formed queues to get information on tax returns, income tax forms, invoices and electronic Tax Identification Number (e-TIN).
Ismail Hossain, a senior high school teacher, was having a good time with one of his friends at the fair.
''I have paid income tax of Tk5000. Although my income is limited, I have been paying taxes since 2011,'' said Ismail.
This was the 2nd day of the weeklong fair where many taxpayers came.
Dr Ehteshamuzzaman, a government medical officer, Syed Nazid Zaman, an employee of a private real estate company, also came to the fair.
Taxpayers have paid Taka479 crore one lakh 28,797 in the 2nd day.
Fatema Yasmin is one of those who came to submit "income tax return".
''We have a three-storey house. The money we get from rent is not enough for paying tax. For submitting 'income tax return', we are here,'' Fatema said.
Online return booths are also available at the fair to facilitate online income tax return submission. Also, the help desk of the fair was very active the whole day.
''We are answering all the queries of the honourable taxpayers and also distributing leaflets,'' said Md Emdad, a National Board of Revenue (NBR) official.
Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal launched the seven-day long "Income Tax Fair" on Thursday.
The NBR has organised the 10th edition of the fair to sensitise people.
More taxpayers are coming to the fair and submitting tax returns without any harassment, said the NBR Chairman Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan.
On the first day of the fair, tax of Taka323 crore 18 lakh 93885 and 63,272 return submissions were realised.
The weeklong fair is also being held at the divisional headquarters, while as many as 56 districts will observe a four-day-long revenue collection event.
A total of 32 upazilas will hold two-day long tax fairs while taxpayers in 70 upazilas will be able to submit their returns at day-long programmes scheduled to be held during November 14-20.
The tax fair at Dhaka is running from 9 am to 5 PM every day.