IRB keeping an eye out for ‘instant millionaires’

JOHOR BARU: Make sure you are ready to pay taxes before you declare that you have become an instant millionaire by joining multilevel marketing schemes and online businesses.

The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) is keeping an eye on those who make such claims.

IRB deputy chief executive officer (compliance) Abdul Manap Dim said 3,793 people were hauled up for various offences in the first-leg of Operasi Gegar Bersepadu from April 10 to 14.

“Apart from salaried employees, businesses and companies have to pay taxes including multilevel marketing (MLM) schemes and online businesses. It is unfair to other tax-payers that MLM and online businesses escape from paying taxes,’’ said Abdul Manap.

Abdul Manap said those earning commissions, such as marketing employees, also have to declare their income, and pensioners who are still working and contract workers were also taxable.

“For instance, if you are a salaried worker and at the same time you own an online business, you have to pay double taxes,’’ he said.

He added that tax dodgers will not be able to get away as staff at the Investigation and Profiling Department of IRB have ways to identify and monitor them.

Abdul Manap said the IRB was confident of collecting RM127bil in taxes this year, up from RM114bil in 2016, adding that the board collected RM47bil as of last week.

Abdul Manap was speaking after flagging off the second-leg of Operasi Gegar Bersepadu (G127B) at the Johor IRB headquarters Wisma Hasil here yesterday.

He said no one would be spared, including politicians, people with titles and companies.

“Generally, Malaysians have improved a lot over the years in settling their taxes promptly but there are still evaders,’’ said Abdul Manap.

He said the number of Malaysians with outstanding taxes prevented from leaving the country by the Immigration Department has reduced.