Sri Lanka’s recent initiative to register every adult for income tax is a mistaken and inefficient action. As someone who served in the Inland Revenue Department, I feel this approach undermines fairness, practicality, and the real purposes of a strong tax system.
Key Points:
- Registering everyone without examining income or liability is unfair and legally unsound.
- Most tax income already comes from corporations, not individuals.
- This policy wastes resources and could damage the IRD’s efficiency.
- A gradual and risk-based strategy is more practical and equitable.
- Real progress comes on developing trust, simplicity, and justice within the tax system.
