No escape for tax evaders in the future - Gajadheera

Irangika RANGE , Sandasen MARASINGHE and Disna MUDALIGE

Tax evaders will not be allowed to escape from the country hereafter, Finance and Planning Deputy Minister Chandrasiri Gajadheera told Parliament yesterday.

He was answering a question raised by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake.

"Tax payers will not be allowed to evade paying their dues, and if they do so, their movable and immovable properties will be seized and sold by the Government," he said.

Gajadheera also noted that the Inland Revenue Department had targeted to collect Rs 150,922 million as tax revenue last year.

However, only Rs 141,520 million was collected, resulting a shortage of Rs 9,402 million last year alone. He also said the Inland Revenue Department maintained 765,554 tax files last year and among them 253,761 were income tax files and 475,340 were employees paying tax files under the PAYE scheme.