Hard to find tax collection targets

The office could not meet the target set in the month of July. While aiming to collect 1 crore 93 lakh rupees, only 91 lakh 35 thousand i.e. 47 percent was collected. However, even in the financial year 079/080, the office could not meet the target. 1 billion 55 million 51 million revenue was set as a target, but only 95 million 31 million rupees were collected.

The inability to collect taxes according to the target has been pointed out to the recession of the economic sector, the decrease in the trust of the common people in the cooperatives and the reduction in the business of microfinance as well. "When the turnover of cooperatives has decreased, tax collection has also decreased," said Srivastava, "Income tax will also increase as much as the turnover has increased, at this time the turnover has decreased."

In the last fiscal year, the office set a target of collecting 606.9 million income tax, but 51.49 million rupees were collected. Similarly, only 275 million has been collected against the target of collecting 334.7 million for VAT. The office was also not successful in the target of collecting 50.4 million towards excise duty. Only 42 million was collected during that period. "We don't have a liquor industry, there are also few businessmen," Srivastava said, "The tax that comes from the commercial PAN number is the most important." On the personal side, 45 thousand 943 people have taken PAN number.

Still, the community forest consumer committee, the consumer committee of other construction sectors and some businesses are not yet registered, so the tax collection has not been done. Apart from that, there has been a delay in tax collection as several development works have not been completed even by the end of June. "Recently, due to the economic crisis in the entire country, taxes have also been affected," said Naresh Kandel, president of the Baglung Chamber of Commerce and Industry Stakeholders understand that the collection target has not been met due to non-increase in scope.

Also, the scope of taxes is increasing after being able to pay taxes in Baglung before reaching Pokhara. As the tax for healthcare and education goes to the local level, it has stopped coming to the Internal Revenue Office. There were only 5,000 taxpayers when they had to pay taxes after reaching Pokhara.

variable Compared to last year, the office staff say that tax collection is increasing significantly. They said that before the establishment of the office, only 42 to 45 percent of the target tax was collected from the taxpayers of the district, but it should be considered good to reach around 80 percent. "Taxes are rising well, taxpayers should be made to pay happily instead of discouragement," said Dhruvraj Gautam, assistant head of Dhaulagiri Multipurpose Campus, "If an environment is created where businessmen pay happily, more taxes will be collected sustainably."

In some businesses, paying taxes at three to four places has increased the exodus from the business, he said. Tax collection increased after the office extended the taxpayer education campaign to rural areas.

Baglung office of Internal Revenue Office Baglung. Photo: Prakash Baral/Kantipur