Badrul Ahsan :
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has planned to introduce Tax-payers Call Centres across the country to help VAT payers accustom with the new Value Added Tax (VAT) law and to provide instant support to queries on it.
The new Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012 will come into effect from July, 2016 where there might arise a good number of queries from the VAT payers to cope up with the new system, sources said.
The law, which will come into effect from 1st July 2016, will transform the existing paper-based system to a new automated online system, the sources informed.
However, according to the new plan, a group of well-trained officers and staff would be assigned to provide all types of support to the queries relating to the new law received from the VAT payers.
To ensure an uninterrupted support to the VAT payers and to resolving the problems, the tax collection authority will set up 13 such call centres across the country, including one in head office under the banner of “VAT Online Service Center”.
“It is quite natural that many queries will arise after starting implementation of the new law. So we have planned to set up call centres across the country to support the VAT payers,” a high official of NBR told The New Nation preferring anonymity.
“The tax payers, who will require either general information about their obligations or need specific inquiries on VAT compliance issues, would get those at the centres,” he said.
The Parliament in 2012 passed the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act to automate the overall VAT administration to increase the revenue collection.
Thereafter, the tax authorities in 2013 undertook the VAT Online Project to ensure a client-friendly and a service-oriented automated system.
Existing and potential new tax-payers will be able to call directly to any of the call centres for any queries relating to VAT, excise and turnover tax once it comes into effect under the VAT Online System.
The NBR is scheduled to start online VAT registration from July 1, 2016 and is expected that all the procedures, including registration, payment, return filing, refund and legal actions under new VAT Act will go online.
However, an outsourcing call centre provider will be assigned to manage all the contact messages both incoming and outgoing, according to the plan.
The call centres providers will also be responsible for dealing with multi-channel messaging, single nationwide number and short code, contact handling, integration with Integrated VAT Administration System (IVAS) for customer relationship management and tax payers account inquiries.
The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has planned to introduce Tax-payers Call Centres across the country to help VAT payers accustom with the new Value Added Tax (VAT) law and to provide instant support to queries on it.
The new Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012 will come into effect from July, 2016 where there might arise a good number of queries from the VAT payers to cope up with the new system, sources said.
The law, which will come into effect from 1st July 2016, will transform the existing paper-based system to a new automated online system, the sources informed.
However, according to the new plan, a group of well-trained officers and staff would be assigned to provide all types of support to the queries relating to the new law received from the VAT payers.
To ensure an uninterrupted support to the VAT payers and to resolving the problems, the tax collection authority will set up 13 such call centres across the country, including one in head office under the banner of “VAT Online Service Center”.
“It is quite natural that many queries will arise after starting implementation of the new law. So we have planned to set up call centres across the country to support the VAT payers,” a high official of NBR told The New Nation preferring anonymity.
“The tax payers, who will require either general information about their obligations or need specific inquiries on VAT compliance issues, would get those at the centres,” he said.
The Parliament in 2012 passed the Value Added Tax and Supplementary Duty Act to automate the overall VAT administration to increase the revenue collection.
Thereafter, the tax authorities in 2013 undertook the VAT Online Project to ensure a client-friendly and a service-oriented automated system.
Existing and potential new tax-payers will be able to call directly to any of the call centres for any queries relating to VAT, excise and turnover tax once it comes into effect under the VAT Online System.
The NBR is scheduled to start online VAT registration from July 1, 2016 and is expected that all the procedures, including registration, payment, return filing, refund and legal actions under new VAT Act will go online.
However, an outsourcing call centre provider will be assigned to manage all the contact messages both incoming and outgoing, according to the plan.
The call centres providers will also be responsible for dealing with multi-channel messaging, single nationwide number and short code, contact handling, integration with Integrated VAT Administration System (IVAS) for customer relationship management and tax payers account inquiries.
