A new gazette notification has been issued amending the procedures and deadlines related to the payment of excise taxes and fees on liquor production.
The gazette, which came into effect today (October 28), was issued by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake in his capacity as the Minister of Finance, Economic Stabilization, and National Policies.
Under the new regulations, every license holder is required to pay the applicable excise tax on or before the specified date, as outlined in Section 22 of the Excise Ordinance.
According to the Excise Department, the new provisions introduce stricter enforcement measures. If a license holder fails to make full payment within 30 days of the prescribed date, their bottling license will be suspended.
Furthermore, if the due taxes or fees remain unpaid within 90 days, all licenses held by the individual will be suspended.
The department noted that this regulation had not been implemented previously and has now been introduced as a new legal provision.
Additionally, the license suspension period, which was previously six months, has been reduced to three months under the revised rules.
The Excise Department stated that the amendments were introduced to minimize tax evasion and ensure greater compliance among license holders.
