Motorcycle users demand withdrawal of proposed advance income tax
Photo Collected
Motorcycle users have formed a human chain demanding the withdrawal of the proposed Advance Income Tax (AIT) on motorcycle users. On Friday afternoon, members of various organizations of motorcycle users participated in this human chain on the opposite side of Jatiya Sangsad Bhavan on Manik Mia Avenue.
Speakers in the human chain said they were not against paying taxes; Rather, they are demanding a fair, realistic and non-discriminatory policy in taxation. According to them, motorcycle users are already contributing significant revenue to the government coffers in various sectors including import duty, VAT, registration fee, road tax, driving license etc. However, the new imposition of advance income tax will put additional financial burden on the common bikers.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Raihan Uddin Khan, founder of National Biker Club, said that the imposition of tax at the same rate will put undue pressure on the lower and middle class motorcycle users. A student or a low-income person who saves for years and buys a simple motorcycle will be subjected to the same tax, which is discriminatory. He proposed fixing the tax structure based on the price of the motorcycle, engine capacity (CC) and financial capability of the user.
Raihan Uddin also said that the issue of taxation on motorcycles worth more than five lakh rupees or under the category of luxury use can be considered. Besides, if the government wants to collect additional revenue, then it should take initiatives to ensure road safety, safe infrastructure and necessary facilities for motorcyclists.
বিজ্ঞাপন
Didarul Islam Sujan, founder of Vespa Community, said bikers never mind paying taxes and want to be a part of increasing the country’s revenue. However, they alleged that such a decision was taken without taking the opinion of motorcycle users. He said legal motorcycle users face various administrative complications, fines and restrictions. However, no effective action is being taken regarding many illegal and dangerous vehicles plying on the roads.
Addressing the government, Didarul Islam said, ‘We don’t want conflict, we want a solution. As the representatives of millions of bikers in the country, we want the opportunity to discuss. If an open discussion meeting is organized, we will be able to present our problems and proposals directly.
Dewan Sohan, founder of Desi Biker.com, said that buyers have to pay much higher prices to buy motorcycles in Bangladesh than in neighboring countries. He commented that the initiative to impose new advance income tax despite the existence of various types of taxes and charges including import duty, production tax, VAT-tax, registration fee is unreasonable.
Dewan Sohan also said that most of the country’s bikers belong to middle-class families. They use motorcycles for work, business, education and daily commuting. So the government should consider the reality of bikers without imposing new tax burden on them.
The participants in the human bond called for a review of the proposed advance income tax, saying that an acceptable and practical solution should be reached through discussion with the concerned parties. They demanded that any new tax policy should be formulated considering the interests of bikers, financial capacity and the actual situation of the country.
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