Tax defaulters to be on the Net

The government has decided to put names of commercial tax defaulters in the public domain which would be accessible to everyone through the Internet.

The department of commercial taxation is readying a list of defaulters who have either failed to file their return or have evaded taxes.

"This list will be made available to the public at large so that traders and dealers can avoid them if they intend to avail credit facility under the proposed Value Added Tax system which would be introduced from April 1, 2005," explained C M Bachhawat, commissioner, commercial taxes, government of West Bengal.

Bachhawat was addressing a workshop on 'Changes in West Bengal commercial taxes' organised by the Bengal National Chamber of Commerce in Kolkata on Thursday.

"The list will have two objectives. The first would be apprise the general public at large of tax defaulters and the second would be to allow tax complaint traders and dealers or other parties to avoid dealing with these traders if they have to avail credit," he explained.

The commissioner also said that the department has decided to give away declaration forms to traders for period they have been complaint, despite having defaulted in previous and following periods.

Bachhawat invited the chambers to help organise camps for registering dealers at the workshop.