Sri Lanka’s Parliament passed the Inland Revenue (Amendment) Bill with amendments on Tuesday after a House debate, clearing legislation the government says will broaden the tax base while simplifying the structure for compliant taxpayers, NewsFirst reported.
During the committee stage the government introduced several amendments that had already been agreed in court, the report said. The package is designed to boost tax revenue by reducing complexity within the system and expanding the legal toolkit available to the Inland Revenue Department against individuals who intentionally evade tax without entering a settlement.
Opposition lawmakers tabled changes including a proposal to extend the period for collection of penalties from 30 days to 90 days, but those amendments were not approved.
The vote follows the parliamentary timetable announced last week by Deputy Speaker Dr. Rizvie Salih’s committee. Earlier, the Supreme Court found Clause 34 of the bill to be unconstitutional and required either a two-thirds majority and referendum or amendment in line with the determination — the in-court agreement reflected in Tuesday’s text. Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had earlier zeroed in on arrest powers under Section 185A as a key concern.
The amendment also follows IRD warnings that false TIN registrations had begun appearing in the system as compulsory taxpayer enrolment widens.
Source: NewsFirst.
