Tax ombudsman to start work in six months

The newly appointed tax ombudsman will start receiving complaints and other tax related grievances from taxpayers within the next six months.

Khairuzzaman Chowdhury, the first ever tax ombudsman of the country, told The Daily Star on Saturday at his residence that his first responsibility is to protect those persons who face harassment even after paying taxes rightly.

Clarifying the details about the ombudsman services, he said a complainant has to file a complaint along with an affidavit mentioning the particulars of a tax case.

"No fictitious name will be accepted and every complainant has to file an affidavit first to have a proper investigation into a case" he said.

Although, Khairuzzaman Chowdhury has already been appointed as the tax ombudsman, the government has yet to recruit the manpower necessary for commencing the services or to establish an independent office.

The ombudsman will start his office at the Directorate of Taxes Inspection in the capital on a temporary basis but a permanent office will be set up in the newly constructed Audit Bhaban in Kakrail.

The office of the tax ombudsman will start its work with a few government officials on deputation but it will require 60 permanent officials for its initial operations.

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) sources said the government is likely to appoint AS Jahir Mohammad, a member of the NBR (Income Tax), as the adviser to the ombudsman.

The tax ombudsman said in addition a head office in Dhaka for the department and a branch in Chittagong will be set up soon. He said it will take about six months to start taking complaints.

Khairuzzaman Chowdhury, who is also a former chairman of the NBR, said small taxpayers are usually harassed more than the big taxpayers due to their dependence on middlemen.

He urged the small taxpayers to avoid middlemen for paying taxes so they can avoid complexities and harassment.

The ombudsman also said instead of individual taxpayers, institutional taxpayers are more likely to file complaints in the initial days of the ombudsman's office.

Meanwhile, the newly appointed NBR Chairman Abdul Karim assumed his office yesterday.

In his remarks to the media after taking responsibility, Karim said tax dodgers and guilty officials will be punished if allegations against them are proven to be true.