Ker to launch strict measures to curb tax evasion: Minister

Eying a 20 per cent growth in tax collection in the current financial year, the CPI(M)-led LDF government today said strict measures would be taken to curb tax evasion at all levels.
Addressing senior officials of Commercial Taxes Department here, Kerala Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac said the twin combination of tax evasion and tardy follow up of scrutiny and assessment has led to the drop in the tax revenue.
"The government is looking at a 20 per cent growth in tax collection in the current financial year. There has been down trend in tax collection in the previous years," he said.

"The growth was 20 per cent and 19 per cent in 2011-12 and 2012-13 respectively. This has come down to 12 per cent growth in the last financial year," the minister said.
To prevent leakage in tax revenue, government would revive the "Corruption-free check post mission", which was a hit during the last LDF regime, he said, adding all check posts in the state would be modernised to improve efficiency.
Stressing the need to upgrade the e-governance system of the department, Isaac also gave instructions to introduce modern tools such as "system scrutiny" and upgrade the age-old hardware in a time bound manner within next two quarters.