KUALA LUMPUR: The Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has conducted a special census to identify, collect and update information of business owners through face-to-face interviews.
In a statement on Wednesday (Feb 28), IRB said the census, Ops Stardust Kuala Lumpur that was held on Monday and Tuesday (Feb 27), involved 80 officers from the Intelligence and Profiling Department of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Melaka.
It emphasised that all information uncovered would be thoroughly reviewed and audited before investigative action is taken against individuals, companies and corporations attempting to evade the reporting of income and payment of taxes, regardless of whether they are local residents or foreigners.
"There will also be ongoing compliance measures, including the imposition of penalties and criminal prosecution for failure to report income and for violations of tax laws.
"By implementing such programmes, the board hopes to curb tax evasion and contribute to the sustainability of the country's tax system," it said, Bernama reported.
In the same statement, IRB chief executive officer Datuk Dr Abu Tariq Jamaluddin said the comprehensive compliance strategy – which includes detection, audit, investigation and collection of actual taxes – must be consistently adhered to, implemented and improved to meet the current environment and challenges.
Abu Tariq, together with the board's deputy chief executive officer (management) Datuk Hisham Rusli and its leadership team, inspected the operations at the site near Bukit Bintang here on the first day, focusing on business activities such as food, beverages and fruit stalls.
