Not obtaining a 'TIN' number will be a criminal offense.

The second reading debate on the Inland Revenue Amendment Bill, which makes it mandatory for every citizen over 18 years of age to obtain a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), will be held in Parliament today (19). This bill provides for legal action to be taken against individuals who fail to obtain the relevant identification number.

According to the new amendments, failure to obtain a 'TIN' number, failure to properly submit tax file reports to the Department of Inland Revenue, and non-compliance when summoned to appear before the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue are considered criminal offenses. The Department of Inland Revenue states that the main objective of this new program is to increase the number of taxpayers in the country and to raise government tax revenue to a target of twenty percent (20%) of the Gross Domestic Product.

The bill states that those found guilty of these offenses can be sentenced to a fine of four hundred thousand rupees and six months imprisonment. The debate related to the Inland Revenue Amendment Bill is scheduled to be held today from 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM, and thereafter, the debate is also scheduled to be held at the time of the adjournment of the House.

Parliamentary sessions are scheduled to be held from today (19) until next Friday (22).