Tax defaulting has denied the Department of Inland Revenue nearly Rs. 200 billion of income, said sources at the Department.
With around 100 of the defaulters not living now, state minister of finance Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said some of the others have agreed to pay their arrears.
The Treasury has appointed a special team to collect the defaulted tax income and the Inland Revenue Act will be updated to facilitate the task, he said.
Those in the high-income category such as doctors, lawyers, private tuition teachers and astrologers have been defaulting their tax payments for a long time, said Finance Ministry sources.