Stop me travelling? I hate you IRB!

Not too long ago in Facebook I saw a friend commented that Inland Revenue Board (IRB) stopped some people from travelling because they owed tax. They said, the amount is so small, why IRB making people so inconvenient. The travellers would have already made all their plans and now the whole plan is derailed. What if the whole family is already at the airport but the father was stopped from leaving because he owed tax? Two Sundays ago, I read an article in a local daily about IRB stepping up its effort in blacklisting people who owe tax from travelling abroad. The youngest person in Malaysia prevented from travelling is just 21 years old. At 21 years old, I have not even started to pay tax and had only started working after my first degree.
My question is, even if you dislike IRB for being so ruthless, then why are you not willing to pay the tax owed? Sure, the reasons may be plenty such as you think the money is not going to be used wisely or that you only want to pay if they give you discount or whatever reasons but WHY are you not paying if that amount is really owed by you? Many years ago when I first started to earn a slightly better income as I was in sales, I told my mum that the tax I was paying is so much higher than the year before. She asked me, ‘do I want to pay higher tax with higher income or lower tax with lower income or even zero tax when I earn below the income tax bracket. The answer was very clear.
Okay, coming back to these people who may now argue that the amount owed is too small. Why the IRB is inconveniencing people? FYI, the payment can be paid online, can be paid in IRB offices, can even be paid in instalments. The notices would have been sent way earlier than the day that you are supposed to travel and the blacklisting do not happen as soon as they sent you the first notice. Oh yeah, the best reason, I DID NOT receive the notice. Great. I will let you win but I can tell you this in advance. be happy if you happen to be the one who got blacklisted and your whole family left the country with you still in the airport, very angry and frustrated and blaming IRB. Yeah, you have won the argument of not needing to take action and everyone else is wrong. As for me, I will still pay unless there’s dispute and I will go settle it with them in their office. Perhaps I am just too obedient…..
written on 21 Apr 2015
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