Closing In

Apply for tax amnesty before January 31 to avoid post 2002 tax investigations, says the Inland Revenue.

Apply for tax amnesty before January 31 to avoid post 2002 tax investigations, says the Inland Revenue. The blanket tax amnesty granted in 2003 is no longer valid and the taxmen are closing in on tax evaders.

One way out is to reapply for a tax amnesty again, under the new amnesty law.

"Now there is no protection under the previous amnesty so everyone is open to investigation.

But anyone that has applied for amnesty again, can avoid this," said R M Jothipala, Commissioner-PAYE, Department of Inland Revenue.

The Inland Revenue called for amnesty applications again in December after the UPFA government repealed the previous pardon granted by the UNF government in 2003.

After the tsunami in December, the deadline for amnesty applications was extended from December 31, 2004, to January 31.

Meanwhile tax investigations are going ahead full steam, as part of the process of meeting government revenue targets for the year.

Already around 15,000 amnesty applications are pending