Business Report :
Five business tycoons are currently being investigated by the National Board of Revenue (NBR) for alleged tax evasion as the authority cracks down following a regime change.
Sources said that the NBR’s Central Intelligence Cell (CIC) has already moved to look into tax files of Summit Group Chairman Aziz Khan, Orion Group Chief Mohammad Obaidul Karim, Beximco Group’s Vice-Chairman Salman F Rahman, Nassa Group Chairperson Nazrul Islam Mazumder, and Bashundhara Group founder Ahmed Akbar Sobhan.
Official sources say initially, the CIC will work on their individual tax files to find any mismatch against their actual wealth and paid taxes.
The intelligence unit will issue letters to all banks and non-banking financial institutions this week to furnish bank-account details, credit card and other financials of those five big businesses.
Taxmen have yet to take a decision to look into their corporate tax files but their companies’ tax information may come under review as the individuals are owners of those companies, said a CIC official.
He also said that taxmen have all income and asset details of the taxpayers to investigate their financials.
As per section-200 of the Income Tax Law 2023, the NBR is empowered to seek bank-account information of a taxpayer against his Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN) if they suspect any tax evasion.
Banks and NBFIs are bound to provide the account information to the taxmen as per law. The tax law has a penal provision in case of non-cooperation by the bank officials in providing requisite information of bank-account transactions.
Recently — following the fall of the past government in a mass uprising — tax zone-15 of the NBR issued bank-account search notices of Awami League Presidium member Sheikh Selim and business-tycoon S Alam’s family members.
Officials have said following widespread allegations by some large businessmen, who monopolized the market, the CIC decided to scrutinize their tax files.
It has been learnt that S Alam’s wife, Farzana Parveen, has already deposited Tk80 crore in taxes after the taxmen started a recheck of her tax files by collecting bank-account information.
The NBR’s move against the mega rich comes after the mass protest that forced former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to end her 15-year rule on August 5.