The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has announced that its e‑service platform is now open for taxpayers to file returns for the Year of Assessment 2025/2026.

According to the notice, taxpayers can submit Corporate Income Tax (CIT), Partnership Income Tax (PIT), and Individual Income Tax (IIT) returns, including the simplified IIT option.

The Department has set November 30, 2026 as the deadline for filing, urging taxpayers to complete submissions electronically before the cut‑off date. 

The IRD added that updated information is available on the Department’s website; www.ird.gov.lk. (Newswire)

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The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has clarified that individuals selling their residential property or personal vehicles can now do so without paying tax, provided certain conditions are met.

An official from the IRD said that for residential property, sellers are exempt if they have held legal ownership for at least three years prior to the sale and have resided at the location for over two years during that period. If these criteria are satisfied, the full amount from the sale is tax‑free. 

He further said that transfers of property to family members or children are also exempt, with tax applying only when sold to third parties.

On vehicles, the IRD official said the previous taxation system has been removed under the amended act. 

He explained that from April 1, 2024, the sale of personal vehicles is entirely tax‑free, regardless of the vehicle’s age, condition, or model. 

The exemption applies solely to personal vehicles, with the entire profit from the sale free of tax, the IRD official added. (Newswire)

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The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has launched a street survey to identify taxpayers and ensure proper tax collection. 

The survey, launched on Tuesday ( 27 Jan), is being carried out across Colombo areas 1 to 15.

Special teams from the department are participating alongside State Minister Nishantha Jayaweera.

IRD officials were seen visiting stores and pasting stickers with a QR code to assist with tax collection. (Newswire)

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The Inland Revenue Department has informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate that steps are being taken to file indictments in the Colombo High Court against popular actress Piumi Hansamali.

The department informed the court on Monday (15) that the indictments are to be filed against Piumi Hansamali, the proprietor of Lolia Skin Care (a private company selling skin‑whitening creams), for evading the payment of Rs. 225 million in taxes to the government.

It was further stated that Piumi Hansamali, who is said to have become a millionaire in a short period of time, will face indictments in the High Court on the instructions of the Attorney General.

Attorney Dinesh Perera, appearing on behalf of the Inland Revenue Department, conveyed this information to the court. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has reached a historic milestone by surpassing Rs. 2 trillion in revenue, marking the highest collection in the department’s history, Commissioner General Rukdevi Fernando announced.

Speaking at a special media briefing held today (24) at the Government Information Department, the Commissioner General said the achievement comes at a time when the national economy is gradually recovering from previous downturns.

She noted that the IRD had been assigned a higher revenue target for this year compared to the previous year, reflecting improved economic activities and strengthened tax administration.

According to the Commissioner General, the department was given a revenue target of Rs. 2,195 billion for 2025, and as of now has already collected Rs. 2,080 billion, moving steadily towards fully meeting and exceeding the target.

She attributed the progress to structured programmes aimed at strengthening revenue administration and improving tax compliance across the country. Special initiatives were also implemented to expand the tax base, resulting in an increase in the number of registered taxpayers during the year. (Newswire)

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The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) says the validity of the Personal Identification Number (PIN) issued for the submission of the returns of income for the Year of Assessment 2024/2025 has been extended to 30 November 2025.

Issuing a statement, the IRD said the extension is valid for PINs that have already been sent to taxpayers. 

The extension of PIN applies to the submission of the returns of income concerning Individual Income Tax, Partnership Income Tax, and Corporate Income Tax. (Newswire)

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An awareness programme on taxation, including online tax return submission, has been held for Members of Parliament.

According to a Parliament statement, the awareness programme was held in Parliament last week.  

The Deputy Commissioner General of the Inland Revenue Department, B.K.S. Shantha, and a group of officers participated in this program as resource persons.

Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Members of Parliament, as well as the Director of Legislative Services/Director of Communications (Acting) of the Parliament, also participated in this event. (Newswire)

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Staff of the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) have engaged in a protest due to the lack of facilities, including air conditioners and ventilation, at the IRD office premises. 

Speaking to the media, staff members said the office building is similar to a furnace after 10.00 am, with employees unable to stay inside. 

“Over the last 1 ½ years, the office has changed into an unsuitable working environment for the staff due to a lack of facilities. Specifically, there is no ventilation. It becomes like a furnace after 10.00 am. Air conditioners have been fixed, but it is yet to be connected to the power supply,” they said. 

They pointed out that staff members had been working in severe discomfort for the last 1 ½ years. 

“Not only the staff, but also taxpayers who have visited the office have fainted due to these conditions and have been hospitalised. We have taken to the streets as this has become an unbearable situation,” they added. (Newswire)

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The Inland Revenue Staff Association says the personal income tax proposal in the 2025 Budget shows the government’s aim to provide relief to lower-income earners while retaining professionals in Sri Lanka. 

The Association’s Secretary told the media that the personal income tax threshold will be reduced from 01 April 2025, which is a positive development.

“Per the new amendment, for an individual earning a monthly income of Rs.500,000, the income tax payable will be Rs.86,000. This is a reduction of over Rs.22,000 for that income bracket. 

Similarly, an individual with a monthly income of Rs.250,000 previously paid Rs.21,000 in taxes. Under the new amendments, they will be required to pay only Rs.8000, saving around Rs.13,000,” he explained. 

According to the Inland Revenue Amendment Bill, the new personal income tax thresholds are as follows;

• A monthly income of up to Rs. 150,000 will be exempt from personal income tax. 
• A monthly income exceeding Rs. 150,000, will see the first Rs. 83,334 taxed at 6%, amounting to Rs. 5000.
• The next Rs. 41, 667 will be taxed at 18%, amounting to Rs. 7,500.
• The subsequent Rs. 41,667 will be taxed at 24%, amounting to approximately Rs. 10,000.
• The next Rs. 41,667 will be taxed at 30%, amounting to approximately Rs. 12,500.
• Any income exceeding this will be taxed at 36%. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has warned the public of a financial scam by individuals posing as IRD officials collecting tax money.

Issuing a statement, the IRD said that individuals posing as IRD officers have been arrested by the Police for falsely collecting tax money in various parts of the nation.

The public has been urged to file a complaint at the nearest Police Station if they have encountered and paid money to such fake IRD officers and if their area is under investigation. (Newswire)

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Sri Lanka’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has issued notices to nearly 1000 companies requesting to settle their tax arrears amounting to more than Rs 160 billion, it was reported. 

According to the Sunday Times, IRD Commissioner General Sepalika Chandrasekara said the companies must settle their arrears in six months or face seizure of bank accounts and property.

Chandrasekara further said that the companies had been given notice to pay the arrears, which had been due up to the end of last year, in six months without any extensions.

Stating that some companies had responded and agreed to the seizure of their properties enabling the IRD to collect the arrears payments, Chandrasekara said the companies that had defaulted on their tax payments were being summoned to the IRD to discuss the possibility of recovering the arrears.

According to IRD Commissioner General, among the tax defaulters, are liquor companies, hotels and real estate firms.

“The IRD is following a strict procedure for collecting the arrears and maximum powers under the Inland Revenue Act would be imposed for the recovery. The IRD has also appointed an 11-member committee under a Deputy Commissioner General to collect the tax arrears,” Chandrasekara added. (NewsWire)

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Sri Lanka’s Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has issued a notice outlining the requirements for Sri Lankan non-residents concerning the Tax Identification Number (TIN). 

According to the IRD, Sri Lankan residents above 18 years of age are chargeable with income tax and are required to obtain registration with the Commissioner General of the IRD.

However, Sri Lankan non-residents are not required to obtain the said registration with the Commissioner General of the IRD.

Instead, Sri Lankan non-residents will be required to obtain the Tax Identification Number (TIN) for four key activities as proposed in the Budget 2024.

The four key activities are as follows;

• Opening a current account
• Obtain approval for a building plan
• Registering a motor vehicle, renewing the revenue licence
• Registering title deeds on lands

The IRD notice the registration requirements for Sri Lankans and non-residents is as follows;

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The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has urged the public to file complaints on businesses which are charging Value-Added Tax (VAT) from customers without being a VAT-registered entity.

According to the Sunday Times, a senior Deputy Commissioner General of the IRD said it was mandatory for VAT-registered business entities to visibly display their VAT registration number when they engage in business transactions.

The senior Deputy Commissioner General further said if anyone is affected by such unlawful practices, they can complain to the IRD Commissioner General directly. 

Stating that action has been taken on such complaints, the senior IRD official revealed that a business entity in Colombo city was raided last Wednesday.

The IRD officials had to seek police assistance to enter the premises of this business entity after they were initially barred by the management. Following the raid, they took documents and computers into custody for further investigations. 

The senior IRD official said that a separate audit inquiry has also been launched to determine whether this entity, which is part of a group of companies, maintained VAT files and whether relevant taxes were paid.

If the entity or the individual is found to be non-VAT registered, we can initiate legal action along with penalties. In addition to that, the department can also launch an assessment to recover the funds levied by the entity, the official added. (NewsWire)

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A sum of over Rs. 316 billion in tax revenue has been collected by Sri Lanka’s Department of Inland Revenue (IRD) within the first quarter of 2023, the Commissioner General of the IRD reported. 

According to the Commissioner General, a total of Rs. 316,619 billion was collected during the months of January, February, and March of 2023.

The Commissioner General of the IRD said in a statement that this was a 216% growth in comparison to the Rs. 146,565 reported during the same period in 2022. (NewsWire)

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