Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Thursday directed the government to realise appropriate tax, VAT and other charges from the revenues earned by different digital platforms like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yahoo and YouTube.
In response to a writ petition, the court also asked the government to form a special committee to assess the amount of their financial transactions in recent years and to submit an assessment report to this court by June 25.
The HC also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks as to why their inaction to realise appropriate tax, VAT and other charges from the revenues earned by different digital platforms from Bangladesh should not be declared illegal.
The respondents are Finance Secretary; Law Secretary; Telecommunications and Information Technology Secretary; Bangladesh Bank Governor; Chairman of National Board of Revenue; Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission; President of Newspapers Owners Association of Bangladesh; representatives of Google; Facebook; Yahoo and YouTube.
The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed
the order and issued the rule after hearing a writ petition filed by six Supreme Court lawyers seeking immediate measures from the government for realising appropriate tax, VAT and other charges from the revenues earned by such organizations.
Advocate Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab, Advocate Md Kawser, Advocate Majedul Kader, Advocate Sazzadul Islam and Advocate Apurbo Kumar Biswas appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Saju stood for the state.
Advocate Pallab said, “Digital platforms like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yahoo, YouTube and their ilk are earning substantial income in Bangladesh since 2007 but they do not pay any tax against their earnings. As a result our government is losing revenue. But European countries like UK, Italy and France are receiving huge revenue from their income.”
The petitioners said they observed that these global digital companies are taking away huge money from Bangladesh but there is no information whether or not they are paying due taxes.
On April 9, six Supreme Court lawyers filed the writ demanding appropriate action in this regard.
The High Court (HC) on Thursday directed the government to realise appropriate tax, VAT and other charges from the revenues earned by different digital platforms like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yahoo and YouTube.
In response to a writ petition, the court also asked the government to form a special committee to assess the amount of their financial transactions in recent years and to submit an assessment report to this court by June 25.
The HC also issued a rule asking the respondents to explain in four weeks as to why their inaction to realise appropriate tax, VAT and other charges from the revenues earned by different digital platforms from Bangladesh should not be declared illegal.
The respondents are Finance Secretary; Law Secretary; Telecommunications and Information Technology Secretary; Bangladesh Bank Governor; Chairman of National Board of Revenue; Chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission; President of Newspapers Owners Association of Bangladesh; representatives of Google; Facebook; Yahoo and YouTube.
The bench of Justice Moyeenul Islam Chowdhury and Justice Md Ashraful Kamal passed
the order and issued the rule after hearing a writ petition filed by six Supreme Court lawyers seeking immediate measures from the government for realising appropriate tax, VAT and other charges from the revenues earned by such organizations.
Advocate Mohammad Humayun Kabir Pallab, Advocate Md Kawser, Advocate Majedul Kader, Advocate Sazzadul Islam and Advocate Apurbo Kumar Biswas appeared in the court on behalf of the petitioners, while Deputy Attorney General Motahar Hossain Saju stood for the state.
Advocate Pallab said, “Digital platforms like Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yahoo, YouTube and their ilk are earning substantial income in Bangladesh since 2007 but they do not pay any tax against their earnings. As a result our government is losing revenue. But European countries like UK, Italy and France are receiving huge revenue from their income.”
The petitioners said they observed that these global digital companies are taking away huge money from Bangladesh but there is no information whether or not they are paying due taxes.
On April 9, six Supreme Court lawyers filed the writ demanding appropriate action in this regard.
