The Reduction of Presumptive Elements in VAT - A Comparative Analysis of the Value Added Tax (VAT) and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012, and the Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, 1991, of Bangladesh

Abstract

The Value Added Tax (VAT) and Supplementary Duty Act, 2012 of Bangladesh, which, having already been deferred a number of times following its enactment, was scheduled to be implemented from July 01, 2017, has been postponed again, amid concerns among, and opposition from, the business community and members of the public. However, the tax authority of Bangladesh claims that the 2012 Act is superior to the existing Value Added Tax (VAT) Act, 1991, in terms of revenue mobilisation and the reduction of tax evasion. While the 1991 Act is fraught with the presumptive elements that are the major sources of tax evasion and causes of departure from the standard VAT system, the proposed Act is free of presumptive elements, so it will be closer to the standard VAT system. This paper demonstrates that the implementation of the proposed VAT Act would dramatically reduce the incentives for tax evasion as the presumptive elements have been eliminated.