KATHMANDU: Amidst the rising criticism on exemption of tax liability for taxpayers through Tax Settlement Commission (TSC), former finance minister Ram Sharan Mahat, who had formed the last TSC in 2014-15 has said that he had formed the commission based on the provision of Tax Settlement Commission Act, 1976 to settle the disputed tax cases pending since long.

“It was not formed to favour any particular taxpayer,” Mahat said, adding, “TSC was set up to provide an opportunity to renegotiate and settle tax liability of those who had been facing tax dispute with the tax administration since long, and for those business that have already shut shop or remained as sick industries.”

Stating TSC provided them an amicable solution to clear their liability, Mahat further said there was a trend to set up such commissions to clear pending disputed cases earlier as well. Stating that Public Accounts Committee’s direction to TSC to recover tax on disputed cases was no less than the initially determined tax (excluding penalty), Mahat said TSC was formed with pious objective to contribute to state coffers by settling the disputed cases that had been pending since long.