President issues stern warning to tax evaders

The law will be enforced without irrespective of status, against those who attempt to evade taxes, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has announced.

Emphasising that no individual is entitled to the privilege of evading taxes, the President stated that the era in which a tax culture prevailed based on personal, familial or political affiliations has come to an end.

The Inland Revenue Department has succeeded in collecting Rs. 2,203 billion in revenue in 2025, the highest amount recorded in its 93-year history. This represents a surplus of Rs. 33 billion over the revenue target for the year and a 15 per cent increase compared with the revenue collected in the previous year, stated Commissioner-General of Inland Revenue Rukdevi Fernando.

She made these remarks at a discussion held this morning (30) at the Department’s auditorium under the patronage of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake.

Marking the first occasion in the 93-year history of the Inland Revenue Department, the President today visited the Department. President Dissanayake attended a meeting with the staff this morning to review the progress achieved in 2025 and the new plans for 2026.

The President expressed his appreciation to all officers and staff of the Inland Revenue Department for surpassing the revenue expected by the government and urged everyone to continue working towards a common objective in order to realise the economic transformation required for the country.

The President also pointed out that tax collection is neither repression nor coercion but a legitimate right of the State, adding that necessary changes will be made to laws, regulations, designations and staffing in order to secure this contribution.

He further emphasised that the government’s objective is to ensure that the benefits of these economic achievements flow to the people of the country. The government is focusing on improving essential public services to enhance the quality of life, undertaking a new transformation of the transport system and providing adequate allocations for the development of the education and health sectors, according to the President.

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake also highlighted the need for a targeted programme to properly collect the taxes due to the government by addressing issues such as improving tax literacy, simplifying the tax system and filling staff shortages.

Meanwhile, Commissioner-General of Inland Revenue Rukdevi Fernando stated that the professional competence and dedication of the Department’s officers were the key factors behind this success.

She further noted that a revenue target of Rs. 2,401 billion has been set for 2026 and that the Department expects to achieve this through programmes aimed at enhancing tax compliance and broadening the tax base.

The Commissioner-General of Inland Revenue added that the Department plans to expand third-party data sharing, strengthen investigations into domestic and overseas assets, take over the RAMIS system, reinforce risk-based auditing, introduce e-invoicing, adopt modern technology for tax administration and enhance tax ethics in 2026.

Minister of Labour and Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Dr. Anil Jayantha Fernando, Deputy Minister of Economic Development Nishantha Jayaweera, Secretary to the President Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, Commissioner-General of Inland Revenue Rukdevi Fernando and senior officials and staff of the Department were present at the occasion.