bdnews24.com :
English medium schools will have to pay value added tax (VAT) as the Supreme Court has stayed a previous High Court order freezing it.
On Sept 17, a rule was issued asking why the decision of imposing VAT would not be declared illegal after hearing a writ. The court had then ordered the NBR chairman and the secretary to the education ministry to explain their position.
On Wednesday, Chamber Judge Syed Mahmud Hossain stayed the High Court order for eight weeks after hearing petition by the National Board of Revenue (NBR). The court also instructed to file a leave-to-appeal plea, said Deputy Attorney General SM Moniruzzaman.
“The order means there’s no restriction on imposing VAT on these schools,” Moniruzzaman, represented the NBR, told bdnews24.com. A 7.5 percent VAT has to be paid on tuition fees in English medium schools while another nine percent is imposed on the house rent of these schools.
