IRB out to get all tax evaders

PETALING JAYA: Professionals of all categories will be closely monitored by the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) in a bid to track tax evaders.

“As far as I am concerned, we are targeting all professionals, you just name any professional,” said IRB chief Tan Sri Mohd Shukor Mahfar after opening the IRB-Malaysian Employer Federation (MEF) seminar yesterday.

He said this when asked to confirm whether the IRB was specifically focusing on three target groups, namely artistes, doctors and lawyers.

A Chinese daily, quoting IRB sources, reported that this time, the audits were focused on these three groups to ensure they did not get away.

Sources told the daily that the IRB had set a strategy ahead of time to investigate the three sectors that had always been viewed more seriously in tax evasion.

When asked why these three groups were targeted, Mohd Shukor said because they were well known.

“People know them, artistes for example, so we want to ensure these professionals behave accordingly as a good taxpayer.

“This is a common approach by tax authorities worldwide,” he said.

Mohd Shukor revealed that these professional groups were known for evading tax in the past.

The IRB hopes to get an additional RM1bil from tax evaders who voluntarily disclose their income tax.

He said last year, a similar initiative was introduced on a smaller scale, but this time it was offered across the board.

Under a new guideline issued by the IRB, tax evaders who voluntarily disclose their income tax information correctly can expect to receive a reduced penalty of as low as 15% of their outstanding tax arrears.

The guideline, which was released last year, is in line with the Government’s recent announcement that it would consider relaxing penalties to encourage taxpayers to settle their outstanding arrears promptly.

The offer is valid from March 1 until Dec 15 this year, with taxpayers needing to declare their previous income and pay off the sum during that period.

Meanwhile, Mohd Shukor said political donations were not subjected to taxes.

“To me, if the income is not subjected to tax, then it cannot be taxed.

“Political donations are not subjected to tax,” he said.

This was in reference to a blog posting by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad who queried if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had disclosed to the IRB the receipt of the huge sum of donations channelled into his private bank accounts.