The Income Tax Commission has summoned 2200 persons in the higher income brackets for questioning to determine whether they have been paying the proper amount of taxes. The spot check was the first step taken by the Treasury since it announced Sunday that tax collection procedures would be tightened to make sure the government gets the income it is entitled to by law.
The persons whose tax returns will be scrutinized were selected on the basis of their living standards. They include owners of large automobiles, pleasure boats and luxury homes valued in excess of IL 750,000 and persons who make frequent trips abroad and are generally “known for their high standard of living.” Treasury officials said.
The tax commission believes there are tens of thousands of persons who fit that category which is at sharp variance with the image of Israelis as a people heavily burdened by taxes and struggling to make ends meet. It does, however, confirm the existence of a deep social and economic gap in the nation.
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