Supreme Court tells NBR not to collect income tax from private universities
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today directed the National Board of Revenue (NBR) not to demand or collect any income tax from private universities across the country until further orders.
The apex court, however, allowed the government to move separate appeals before it against the High Court verdict that in 2016 had declared illegal the government orders which imposed 15 percent income tax on private educational institutions including private universities and private medical, dental and engineering colleges.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain came up with the orders after a hearing on 44 separate leave-to-appeal petitions filed by the government challenging the HC verdict.
Following the SC order, private universities' lawyer Omar Sadat told The Daily Star that the NBR cannot demand any income tax from his clients until final disposal of the appeals in connection with the relevant case.
Meanwhile, Mohammad Sakhawat Hossain, another lawyer of private universities, told this correspondent that no private educational institutions need to pay income tax to the government till disposal of the appeals.
There are 98 private universities in Bangladesh and among them 84 of them with 4.5 lakh students are currently active, he added.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin told The Daily Star that the government is not currently demanding any income tax from the private universities.
Senior counsels--M Amir-Ul Islam, AF Hasan Ariff, Rokanuddin Mahmud, Fida M Kamal and Prabir Neogi appeared for the private universities during virtual hearing on the leave to appeal petitions.
Read More: 15% income tax on private univs illegal
Read Also: SC stays HC verdict on income tax
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