Liquor licensees-Inland Revenue officials iron out VAT issues in Matara

Text and pix by P.D. 
De Silva
The members of the Liquor Licensees’ Association in the south and the officials of the Inland Revenue Department ironed out the problems that have arisen with the introduction of the new value-added tax (VAT) schemes at a workshop held in Matara yesterday.
The delegation from the Inland Revenue Department was represented by Senior Deputy Commissioners S.M.H. Denzil, K.H.R. Hapuarachchi, A.M. Nafeel, P.H.P.H. Gamage and M.A. Priyanka, Provincial Commissioner Matara and other officials.
Matara Liquor Licensees’ Association President Supun Abeykone said that the association’s members have always paid their taxes on time and voiced the points that needed clarification as well as the issues that have arisen with the introduction of the new VAT scheme. The Senior Deputy Commissioners present explained the benefits of the new VAT scheme and allayed the fear of multiple taxation. Nafeel made a detailed presentation on the VAT scheme, its benefits and how a VAT return should be computed.
As some queries raised and requests made by the liquor license holders in the south were relating to policy decisions the Inland Revenue authorities promised to forward them to the relevant authorities of the department and Finance Ministry. Matara Liquor Licensees’ Association Secretary Neil Gunasekera thanked the officials of the Inland Revenue Department for accepting the invitation of the association and conducting the workshop at which a large number of matters were clarified and explained in detail.