The National Board of Revenue has seized a bank account of the opposition alliance-backed candidate in Gazipur City Corporation polls for non-payment of overdue income tax.
The revenue board impounded MA Mannan’s account with Gulshan branch of Mercantile Bank by sending a letter recently, under section 143 of Income Tax Ordinance, 1984.
NBR said Mannan, also a Director of Capital Properties Development (Pvt) Ltd, defaulted on payment of Tk 2,456,801 income tax – Tk 2,439,681 for 2007-08 fiscal year and the rest for 2011-12 FY.
Mannan showed an income of Tk 814,000 in 2007-08 FY in the return submitted under self-assessment arrangement and paid Tk 70,414 in income tax. But the NBR did not accept his statement and launched an investigation into his income and wealth.
The board investigation found that his real income in 2007-08 FY was Tk 9.68 million and he was supposed to pay an income tax of Tk 2,204,134.
Mannan appealed against NBR assessment and in the appeal ruling his real income was determined as Tk 9.61 million and income tax as Tk 2,183,434.
He again appealed against the assessment and this time the income was decided at Tk 9,364,568 and income tax at Tk 2,439,681.
The whole tax has been overdue.
According to election laws, loan and utility bill defaulters are disqualified for election to any public office.
Income tax law also slaps some restrictions on election of tax defaulters to public offices.
The maiden polls in the Gazipur City Corporation will be held on July 6. Seven candidates, including Mannan and Awami League-led 14-Party Alliance-backed Azmat Ullah Khan, are running for the mayor’s office.
The election schedule was announced on May 22 and Mannan was declared a valid candidate on June 9 following scrutiny of the nomination papers.
NBR seized his bank account on Jun 13, four days before the deadline for withdrawal of candidature, to realise the overdue income tax.
Source: Bd news24
