KATHMANDU, Aug. 7: The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) is set to announce the first winners of its taxpayer incentive program on Friday.
On Thursday, IRD officials briefed Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle on the prize selection process and the digital system that will be used for the draw. The department also demonstrated a mock prize selection before the minister.
According to IRD Director General Dr. Bhishma Kumar Bhusal, the first prize draw will cover consumers who purchased goods and services online between July 17 and 31 and those who made cash purchases and uploaded their VAT or PAN bills to the department's website.
Taxpayer Incentive Programme: Cash prize winners announced
Based on transactions made each day during the 15-day period, one winner will be selected daily, with each receiving a cash prize of Rs 100,000 after applicable tax deductions.
In addition, all eligible consumers who purchased goods and services during the same period will be entered into a bumper draw. One winner will receive Rs 1 million in cash. Bhusal said tax will be levied on the bumper prize.
Finance Minister Dr. Wagle announced the taxpayer incentive scheme while unveiling the budget for the fiscal year 2026/27, aiming to encourage consumers to demand VAT and PAN invoices and improve tax compliance.
Under the program's operating guidelines, prize draws will now be held twice every month: on the 16th, covering transactions made from the 1st to the 15th of the month, and on the last day of each month, covering transactions made from the 16th onward.
Consumers who pay for goods and services using bank or digital wallet QR codes will be automatically enrolled in the program. However, they must retain their purchase bills to claim any prize.
Consumers who pay in cash must request a PAN or VAT invoice, upload it to the Inland Revenue Department's website and obtain a participation coupon to become eligible for the prize draws.
