A man accused of collecting more than BD240,000 in Value Added Tax (VAT) from customers without remitting the amount to the National Bureau for Revenue (NBR) has been referred to the High Criminal Court for trial.
According to the Public Prosecution, the case was opened following a report on the individual’s activities.
Prosecutors ordered the lifting of banking confidentiality on his personal and business accounts in accordance with the VAT Law. Investigators recorded testimonies from NBR specialists and reviewed documents linked to the case.
The probe revealed that the suspect had allegedly submitted inaccurate information, unlawfully deducted input tax and failed to issue VAT‑compliant invoices.
He also reportedly did not maintain the required records, tax invoices or accounting books relating to the import and supply of services in a regular manner. Evidence indicated that the accused had intentionally evaded payment of VAT due to the government, despite submitting returns that suggested compliance.
The defendant is scheduled to stand trial on Sunday.
Last week, the NBR announced that they conducted 1,216 inspection visits during 2025, as part of a continuous commitment to enhance the level of business compliance within the local markets and ensure adherence to all regulations.
The inspection was conducted over various sectors, such as construction, manufacturing, real estate, retail, plumbing, heat and air-conditioning installation, travel agencies, auto repair, manpower supply, jewellery trading and other sectors.
These efforts resulted in a high compliance rate of 86.5 per cent last year, reflecting the positive impact of NBR’s continuous oversight and awareness initiatives.
In total, 145 VAT violations were reported in which administrative fines have been imposed in accordance with the law.
The most commonly reported violations included failure to comply with VAT invoicing requirements, not displaying prices inclusive of VAT, absence of a visibly placed VAT certificate, failure to issue VAT invoices, and issuing VAT invoices for non‑applicable goods.
The NBR urged people to report any violations by contacting the call centre at 80008001, available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or through the National Suggestions and Complaints System (Tawasul).
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