THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Finance minister Dr T. M. Thomas Isaac might incorporate three successful components of Kejriwal’s tax policy into his ‘Alteration Memorandum’ or revised budget to be presented on July 4: a reward scheme for those who blow the whistle on tax evaders, a scheme to prod customers to demand bills from traders, and innovative surveillance methods.
Isaac had met Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia in Delhi on June 19 to discuss about the tax measures adopted in the National Capital Territory of Delhi. If plummeting tax revenues is Isaac’s worry, a surge in tax growth is Kejriwal’s pride. Isaac is particularly enthused by the scheme to popularise bills.
Called ‘Bill Banvao Inam Pao’ (Demand a Bill, Grab a Prize), it is an app-based version of the LuckyVat scheme introduced by Isaac in 2006 inspired by a similar scheme in Mexico. Under Lucky Vat, consumers purchasing goods above Rs 1000 were given a scratch card that could fetch up to Rs one lakh. However, securing the prizes turned out to be a big hassle and the scheme did not fetch the kind of results Isaac wanted.
Under ‘Bill Banvao Inam Pao’, the consumer can upload the bill on the Tax Department’s website or they can take a snapshot of the bill and send on the designated number of the Department through whatsapp. The maximum prize money Rs 50,000 but any purchase over Rs 100 is eligible for the prize.
Delhi also has an attractive reward scheme for whistleblowers. The informers are suitably rewarded in case the information leads to realization of additional tax revenue. If inspection is undertaken following written information furnished by the informer and leads to additional tax of at least Rs.10 lakh is realized, the informer is eligible for up to 7.5 percent of the additional tax demand created. Delhi’s Department of Trade and Taxes also employs innovative methods of surveillance. They use spy camera and magic eye to assess actual sales of suspicious dealers.
