[caption id="attachment_78466" align="alignleft" width="300"] IRD Commissioner General Nadun Guruge[/caption] By Agra Ranasinghe

In an interview with The Sunday Morning, the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) Commissioner General Nadun Guruge requested all large-scale taxpayers to pay their taxes on time, considering the dire economic situation the country faces.

There are many workers who have lost their sources of income due to this pandemic. Is the IRD providing them any relief? We issue all the assessments under one system. If anyone fails to pay tax on time, a penalty is added to that taxpayer automatically. However, I am looking at the possibility of exempting them from paying this penalty. How has this situation affected the revenue of the IRD? The Value Added Tax (VAT) for February was to be paid on 20 March. March VAT is to be paid on 20 April. Now, the Government has postponed these dates to 30 April. We hope that by 30 April, we will be able to get this income. What measures do you have to mitigate the impact of the loss of revenue as well as these delayed payments? I request those taxpayers who pay a large amount of tax to pay before the deadline, because this is a national pandemic we are facing right now. I request them to pay tax considering the situation our country faces right now, because this is the time the Government needs money. I have discussed this with the President's Secretary too. How have the functions of the IRD been affected by social distancing and the curfew? All the workers are providing the essential services from their houses. There are nine deputy commissioner generals, 22 senior commissioners, 90 commissioners, and more than 2,500 employees. But they are providing the essential services from their homes, such as levying VAT. When Covid-19 is controlled and services resume, what plans do you have for the IRD? The IRD covers more than 50% of the income of the Government. Therefore, we have that responsibility. I think all the employees, including me, have to take on this responsibility. When all the services are resumed at the Department, we look forward to performing our duty and providing our service and generating income.