KATHMANDU, MAY 04

The private sector has demanded that the deadline for tax filing be extended as the government has requested all to clear their taxes via online platforms.

The major private sector umbrella bodies - Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI), Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) and Nepal Chamber of Commerce (NCC) - have issued separate statements with a similar demand seeking extension of the deadline for submitting details of tax revenue and filing taxes to the government.

They have stated that the industries are still reeling under the effects of first lockdown. 'The industries and trade sector that had been hammered by the first lockdown and were gradually reviving have once again been hit by the second wave of the pandemic. Most industries have been shut while others are operating at less capacity,' reads the FNCCI's statement.

The FNCCI has stated that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production of non-essential items, and trade, business and vehicular movement have been halted, while even the employees of the industrial sector have not been able to work properly due to health concerns.

Moreover, no one knows how long this situation will last. Thus, the government has to consider this situation and facilitate the industries, the FNCCI has stated.

Similarly, CNI has demanded an extension to the tax filing deadline, saying it is difficult to submit tax returns and pay taxes during the prohibitory order. The confederation has demanded that no additional charges and fines be levied till the situation improves. The CNI has also stated that the government should make a provision of submitting documents within 25 days after completing the current deadline of one month.

Meanwhile, the NCC has demanded extension to the deadline saying that it is not possible to submit such amount and details. NCC has said as all the necessary documents are in the offices and there is no way for workers to retrieve them at the moment, the government should extend the deadline considering this situation.

A version of this article appears in the print on May 5, 2021, of The Himalayan Times.