Kamaruzzaman (third right) flagging off the IRB staff for the Hasil Friendly Visits. Also seen is Bacho (second right).
KENINGAU: State Inland Revenue Board (IRB) director Datuk Haji Kamaruzzaman bin Abdul Salleh has explained that the reminder letter issued by IRB to teachers is for the whole state.
However, he said, for Keningau branch, it is the first step to remind teachers that it is their duty to report their income voluntarily to the IRB.
“The letter serves as a reminder only so that the teachers will come forward to cooperate with us as it is their duty to report their income,” he explained to reporters after flagging off IRB staff on their state level Hasil Friendly Visit for Keningau branch at the IRB office compound here yesterday.
Kamaruzzaman was earlier asked to comment on the letter to teachers in this district that went viral in the social media.
He said RB had received information that they (teachers) were not reporting their earnings.
He said the IRB had issued a warning letter to them informing that they needed to make a disclosure or voluntarily report their income in order to avoid a heavy penalty.
“If the IRB find out that they have not reported their income, there is a possibility that they will be imposed a penalty. But if they voluntarily report their income, the IRB may consider to be lenient,” he said.
Kamaruzzaman also encouraged taxpayers to come forward to provide information on their income that is not reported to the IRB voluntarily.
He said IRB’s advice to all employees of State and Federal government departments, including teachers throughout the state, is to be more accountable by reporting their income to the IRB.
At the same time, he said, the letter sent to the teachers should not have gone viral in the social media as it is only a reminder and there is no need to involve another party as it is between the IRB and the teachers only.
Kamaruzzaman said he is however pleased to note that many teachers have come forward and cooperated with the IRB by reporting their income voluntarily.
On the program, he said it is a routine program involving 50 staff over two days beginning today and tomorrow in three districts, namely, Keningau, Tenom and Tambunan.
“Hasil Friendly Visit is to help increase the level of awareness and voluntary compliance among taxpayers, and can help to improve tax collection in the country through the expansion of the tax base.
I urge all who are eligible to come forward voluntarily so that information on existing taxpayers can be updated,” he said.
Armed with the tagline ‘Hasil Your Feel Good Partner’, the program, he said, is expected to change the perception of the public and taxpayers on IRB tax administration system on tax collection and compliance with the law but that it is also customer friendly.
He said, this will encourage taxpayers to be more transparent and willingly comply with the regulations and tax laws of Malaysia.
Kamaruzzaman, accompanied by Keningau branch IRB director, Bacho Abdul Karim, and other officials flagged off the IRB staff for the friendly visits program.