The High Court today questioned legality of collecting advance income tax (AIT) from private cars and microbuses.

The court in a rule asked the government to explain in four weeks as to why its decisions to impose AIT on the private vehicles should not be declared illegal.

The HC bench of Justice Sheikh Hassan Arif and Justice JN Deb Choudhury came up with the rule after hearing a writ petition by Supreme Court lawyer Abul Kashem challenging the legality of the government's notifications imposing AIT on the vehicles.

He said in the petition that private cars and microbuses are used for private purposes, not for earning money, therefore imposing AIT on the vehicles are illegal.

Secretaries to the ministries of finance and law, and chairman of National Board of Revenue have been made respondents to the rule, petitioner's lawyer Masud Ahmed Sayeed told The Daily Star.

He said the finance ministry issued a gazette notification imposing AITs on private cars, jeeps and microbuses and it issued another notification in 2012 increasing the AITs.

In the 2012's gazette notification, AIT was imposed as Tk15,000 for each 1500 CC motor car, Tk 30,000 for each 2000 CC, Tk 50,000 for each above 2000 CC, Tk 60,000 for each 2800 CC jeep motor car, Tk one lakh for each above 2800 CC and Tk 15,000 for each micro-bus.

Earlier, in the 2009's gazette, AIT was imposed as Tk 3,000 for each 1500 CC motor car, Tk 4,000 for each 2000 CC, Tk 7,000 for each above 2000CC, Tk 6,000 for each 2800 CC jeep motor car, Tk 8,000 for each above 2800 CC and Tk 3000 for each micro-bus, the lawyer added.