Taxpayers frustrated by IRD’s RAMIS system
We refer to recent articles published in your newspaper on the above, which we acknowledge and highly appreciate since at least media has come forward to highlight the inconvenience being caused to genuine taxpayers. It is the genuine taxpayer who gets penalised whilst others evade.
We have experienced an instance where for a mere two rupees short, a penalty of Rs.76,000 was imposed. It has happened whilst rounding up decimals in series of invoices. Even after paying Rs.2 and having explained the circumstances, the IRD rejected the appeal.
As you clearly state, this may have happened to so many genuine taxpayers. But they are helpless and unable to come forward since Sri Lanka is not a country in which genuine facts could be aired due to fear of reprisal.
People are losing confidence in the new RAMIS system, which has created many issues. We agree that there has to be a proper structure to streamline payment systems in line with technology advancement. However we are of the view that it has not been customised to suit our social environment.
Most of the companies operate amidst great financial difficulties. They cannot survive with such exorbitant penalties other that winding up the business.
We also invite all genuine taxpayers to air their views to create a platform to safeguard our rights if the regulator does not listen to our grievances.
MDA – Colombo