SHILLONG: The state government has decided to introduce Meghalaya Amnesty Scheme to provide an opportunity to the estimated 805 tax payers to clear the outstanding dues amounting to Rs 152 crore.
Informing this after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma informed that the amnesty scheme will provide a window time of six months for the tax payers to clear the tax dues towards the State Government.
“During this six months window time, the tax payers will be given some incentive to ensure they are given the opportunity to pay the amount that is due to the state government. If the tax payers failed to pay the outstanding dues within this six months window period then we will take act against the people who are evading taxes proceed as per the law,” Sangma stated.
Meanwhile, Commissioner of Taxes, Arun Kembhavi said that this for the first time in the country that such comprehensive amnesty scheme has been brought for all the indirect taxes under different state taxation act. “The main purpose of coming up with this scheme is because there are so many tax payers who owes taxes dues to the Taxation department. If we go on the recovery process then such exercise is prone to litigation. It is for these reasons we have not gone after the tax payers and brought this amnesty scheme to help both the department as well as the tax payers, Kembhavi said.
The scheme will encourage the defaulters to come forward although it is a voluntary scheme adding that the scheme has been created in an effective manner to benefit 805 tax payers in the state.
“We are hopeful that all 805 tax payers will come forward to avail the scheme. The idea of the scheme is very simple if the tax payer has an outstanding amount of Rs 1 crore including the principal amount of tax, surcharge, penalty, interest or late fees then we are giving the net discount or we will waive off of 30 per cent.
Citing an example, he said that the tax payers can make payment of Rs 70 lakh of the Rs 1-crore tax due to the department.
The tax payer can put up an application before the commissioner of tax and avail the benefit of this scheme,” the Commissioners of Taxes added.
