NBR seeks Tk 50cr from 4 top hotels in unpaid taxes
Four luxury hotels in Dhaka which lost a legal battle against a supplementary duty and corresponding value added tax have been asked to pay Tk 53.64 crore in dues accrued for periods between January 2005 and April 2011.
Of the four, Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel owes Tk 20.74 crore (July 2005-April 2011), Ruposhi Bangla Hotel Tk 18.83 crore (January 2005-February 2009), The Westin Dhaka Tk 7.12 crore (July 2007-January 2009) and Radisson Blu Dhaka Water Garden Tk 6.92 crore (July 2005-January 2009).
The Large Taxpayers Unit of VAT, a field office under the National Board of Revenue, sent letters last week seeking the dues, said a senior official of the unit yesterday.
A 10 percent supplementary duty on floor show revenues and alcoholic beverage sales was imposed in 2005.
The hotels separately filed petitions challenging the rule and the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals on July 13. The hotels have been paying the supplementary duty since mid-2012. Cases involving Tk 50 crore of unpaid supplementary duty for periods till mid-2012 are pending in courts, including the Appellate Division, the official said. “We expect the verdicts will be in favour of the government as the cases are similar to the previous ones,” he added.
The official said the apex court's verdict would be instrumental in making other field offices realise such arrears.
Bangladesh has about 2,000 hotels and guest houses covering the basic amenities. Of them, 50 to 60 may have arrangements for floor shows and alcoholic beverage sale, said James Babu Hazra, general secretary of the Bangladesh Hotel and Guest House Owners Association.
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