DHAKA: The High Court directed the government to realize all sorts of tax including VAT on internet-based service providers including Google, YouTube and Facebook.
Besides, the court also issued a rule asking why directions should not be given to collect tax from all those companies.
An HC bench of Justice Mainul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal issued the rule Wednesday (April 12).
Secretaries to finance, law, post-telecommunication and information ministries, Bangladesh Bank governor, National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) chairman, Newspapers Owners’ Association of Bangladesh (NOAB) president, Google, Facebook, Yahoo and YouTube authorities were asked to reply the rule within four weeks.
Earlier, six SC lawyers filed a writ against the above-mentioned companies on charge of tax evasion, on April 9. Barrister Mohammed Humayun Kabir Pallab moved for the petitioners while Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Saju moved for the state, at the courtroom.
The court also asked to form a committee of experts to recognize how much money was accumulated by the companies from here in last years, said Barrister Mohammed Humayun Kabir Pallab.
Besides, secretaries to finance, law and information & telecommunication ministries, Bangladesh Bank governor, National Board of Revenue (NBR) chairman, Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) chairman were directed to form the committee.
Moreover, a report has to be submitted within June 25, regarding the progress of forming the committee.
The court, however, set June 28 for the next hearing upon this.
The court also asked the government to collect tax from the money earned from advertising on the online media, and sales of domain and various sorts of licenses in online.
Six lawyers of the Supreme Court earlier filed a writ with the HC regarding the above matter on April 9. The HC accepted their plea and issued the rule after the hearing Thursday.
On April 7, concerned authorities of the government were served legal notices by the SC lawyers regarding ‘tax evasion’ of Google, Yahoo, Amazon, YouTube, Facebook and other online companies.
The lawyers then set an ultimatum before the government to initiate necessary steps within 24 hours; otherwise they will seek help from the High Court, they said.
The six lawyers are—Barrister Mohammed Humayun Kabir, Barrister Mohamamed Kausar, Advocate Abu Jafar Md Saleh, Advocate Apurbo Kumar Biswas, Barrister Mohammed Sazzadul Islam and Barrister Mohammed Majedul Quader.
BDST: 2054 HRS, APR 12, 2018
SI/SMS
