Irked traders plan Boycott Taxes' drive

KOZHIKODE: Kerala Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithi (KVVES) is all set to launch a ‘boycot-taxes’ campaign. The traders are fuming over the taxmen slapping fines and initiating revenue recovery on defaulters.

The KVVES had called a shutdown on Tuesday protesting against the alleged harassment by sales tax officials.

Its president T. Nazrudeen said they were planning to stop paying taxes as the state government was not at all heeding their demands.   

“We paid '65,000-crore taxes, but still we are being tortured," he told DC.
“More than 60,000 traders were fined to the tune of Rs 400 crore. If we fail to remit the amount, the sales tax department will initiate revenue recovery."

“If we want to file an appeal we have to pay 30 percent of the tax, which also prevents many from taking legal remedies,” he said.

The KVVES leaders had met Chief Minister Oommen Chandy "countless times" raising these demands, he said, but all went futile.

The KVVES also wants a '50-lakh compensation and a government job for the widow of the trader who committed suicide, the sales tax commissioner and deputy commissioner charged with murder and the resignation of the chief minister.

However, sale tax officials say they are acting in tune with the system, and there is no vengeance.

Kozhikode sales tax assistant commissioner B.S. Thyagaraja Babu told DC that each officer has to scrutinise at least 20 cases a month and in many cases, a list of traders with suspected tax evasion would be sent down from commissionerate.

“The concerned official is bound to crosscheck the sales and purchase details and submit a report. If we issues notices referring the fine and the trader failed to either file an appeal within the prescribed time or remit the amount, normally, the case would go to revenue recovery authority,” he said.

“After computerised sales tax system in place it is difficult to evade taxes,” he added.