The number of taxpayers has not been disclosed: the Inland Revenue Department is in a quagmire
From the internal information of the department, it is reported to ‘Mawbima’ that the Inland Revenue Department has collected more than 694 crore rupees in the last 3 months from the tax paid as earned under the new tax reforms, but its data system shows a shortfall of 36 crore rupees.
A senior spokesman of the department told ‘Mawbima’ that from last January to March 31, more than 694 crore rupees have been collected as income tax from people earning more than one lakh rupees per month, but the total amount mentioned in the documents is 658.3 crore rupees. .
As of January 31, Rs 77.1 crore, Rs 557 crore as of February 28 and Rs 60.7 crore as of March 31, totaling over Rs 694 crore, have been recorded by taxation as earned.
The spokesperson also said that the estimated revenue was completed by levying taxes when the government earned this amount, but it was questionable to show a shortfall of Rs 36 crore in the calculation of total tax revenue.
The spokesman said that the number of workers who have paid income tax while earning like this cannot be stated precisely.
However, State Minister of Finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya told the media that about 120,000 workers pay the tax when they earn and that is 2.6 percent of the labor force.
Earlier in 2019, when collecting taxes from those earning more than 100,000 monthly income, an economist said that more than 11,000,000 workers were covered.
He said that with the annual wage increases, this number of workers should be close to 20 lakh by now, and he emphasized that if we look at it that way, nearly a quarter of the current labor force will pay taxes when they earn under the new tax amendment.
Accordingly, the same economist said that the numbers announced by the Minister of State for Finance cannot be trusted at all and the Inland Revenue Department should make a clear statement about the real workforce that pays tax when they earn.
He further said that the public has a fundamental right to know the real data regarding public finances and not disclosing information about the number of tax payers is an official evasion of public financial responsibilities.
The Inland Revenue (Amendment) Act, which levies tax on the income of persons earning more than one lakh rupees per month, came into effect on December 19 last year after signing the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena’s signature.
The government says that this tax revision was done in accordance with the agreements reached with the International Monetary Fund to increase the state revenue.
(Maubima)
