Pay tax or get punished - More threats from the Government

Let us not get emotional on the issue. Let us get the facts right!

1. Jaitley is talking of 'threats' to collect tax. Coming from the Finance minister, this is unbecoming.

2. If harsh and harsher punishments could make people obey, then we will not be seeing any murders today. Punishment, yes, is a deterrent. But not a cure. It is a post-mortem and not an execution plan. Can death penalty bring back the murdered child or the raped girl? What is required are not threats, but pro-active taxation systems.

3. Pro-active taxation is what is followed in all Western countries. Why is India not doing it? Taxation should be reviewed when the event happens and not after three years or four years. Once the return is filed and tax is taken by the Government, no more reviews are to be done. No post-mortem! Stop it before it happens. Not cry over spilt milk.

4. Is your aim to punish people or is your aim to get the tax? What is your aim? If your aim is to get tax, then it should happen before evasion happens not after.

5. Again, Jaitley is talking only of the 'sticks'. Where are the 'carrots'? I wish a Finance Minister will come out and talk to people like this: 'We fully appreciate all the tax payers who contributed together more than Rs.14.60 lak crore. Let us give them a standing ovation, ladies and gentlemen of the Parliament". Has this ever happened? Is 14.60 lak crore a small sum? Did the tax officials visit every home in the country to collect this money? Why haven't any FM every spoken high of the tax payer? You talk of evasion. I am talking of compliance.

6. Has the Government come out with something special for the tax payer? We jokingly mention, tax payer gets an A Class jail when he gets sentenced. In order to enjoy the privilege of a tax payer we should really go to jail!! Is there no other way, you can pay back something to the compliant tax payer? Numerous ones. Say, reserve 20% of the railway seats for the tax payer only. In the PAN card, have silver, Gold and Platinum cards. Platinum card holders will be given preference at all government offices. They will be served with sweets when they come into the office. For this, let us say, Platinum card holders should be paying more than one crore as direct tax, Gold 25 laks as direct tax and silver rest of them. I am just thinking loud. Some kind of customer service. After all, every tax payer is a customer to the government.

Think of proactive and positive taxation instead of sending out threatening statements to the people. Is the FM listening?

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