Committee on Interpretations under Inland Revenue Act No.24 of 2017
As stipulated in section 107 of the Inland Revenue Act, No. 24 of 2017 (Act), taxpayers may apply to the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue (CGIR) for a private ruling regarding the application of the Act.
Thereunder the Commissioner General is statutorily empowered to appoint a Committee known as the “Interpretation Committee” to review such application and to issue private ruling as appropriate on behalf of him.
Role of the Interpretation Committee
On the basis of assumptions about future events or other matters as considered appropriate, issue private rulings setting out the CGIR’s position regarding the application of the Act to a transaction entered into, or proposed to be entered into, by the taxpayer and act on private rulings in accordance with the provisions of sections 107,108,109,110 and 111 of the Act.
Composition of the Committee
The Committee comprises of a Chairman, and Ten members appointed by the CGIR.
The Committee
| Name | Designation | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. M. G. Somachandra | Deputy Commissioner General | Chairman |
| Ms. H.M.D. Munasinghe | Deputy Commissioner General | Member |
| Ms. K. S. B. R. D. S. Karunarathne | Deputy Commissioner General | Member |
| Mr. A.A. Dayarathna | Senior Commissioner | Member |
| Mr. D.R.S. Hapuarachchi | Senior Commissioner | Member |
| Mr. D. Rangalle | Senior Commissioner | Member |
| Mr. R.M. Jayasinghe | Senior Commissioner | Member |
| Mr. M. Gunaweera | Commissioner | Member |
| Mr. H.K. Pieris | Commissioner | Member |
| Ms. R.P. H. Fernando | Commissioner | Member |
| Ms. S.M. Wickramarachchi | Commissioner | Member |
| Ms. S.A.P.D. Dissabandara | Deputy Commissioner | Secretary to the Committee |
Procedure for a request
- The Request should be Written and it should addressed to:
Interpretation Committee
Department of Inland Revenue,
Colombo 02.
- The Request should forwarded to:
Interpretation Committee
Secretariat,
14th Floor,
Department of Inland Revenue,
Colombo 02.
- The Request should include:
- Name of the Taxpayer
- Taxpayer’s Identification Number (TIN)
- Nature of the business
- Type of tax for which the ruling is applied and other registered tax types
- Year of Assessment or Taxable Period to be covered by the ruling
- Specify precisely the question on which the ruling is required
- Weather any appeal or objection on an assessment already been taken up against the issue in which the request relates.
- The view of the applicant which the request relates, based on the provisions of the Act (if any)
- The registered agent number and practice name, if the request is forwarded through a tax professional,
- Contact details of the applicant or an authorized person
(The admissibility of the application will be notified over the phone to make the immediate payment of application fee to proceed the process of issuing a private ruling)
- Application Fee
- Taxpayers are notified to pay Rs. 25,000 as application fee in relation to admissible Requests.
- The payment should be made in cash or Bank draft drawn to “Commissioner General of Inland Revenue”.
- It should be made within 3 days from the notification.
- It can be made to the Shroff, Financial Unit (13th Floor), Inland Revenue Department, Colombo 2.
- A copy of the payment slip should be submitted to the Secretary of the Interpretation Committee to initiate the process of issuing a private ruling,
- The date of submission of such payment slip will be considered as the date of receipt of the application.
- More Information
- Any request for interpretation in relation to any matter or issue of a case pending before the Tax Appeals Commission, or any Court should not be referred to the Committee
- The Committee makes an initial review on each and every request for the purpose of its admissibility.
- The Committee will noticed in written notice, in case where the Committee decides not to admit a request.
Download – Circular on Instructions to taxpayers for requesting a private ruling
