Taxpayer Reward Scheme Drives Bill-Demanding Culture as Complaints Against Shops Rise

KATHMANDU, AUGUST 25, 2026: The government’s Taxpayer Incentive Reward Scheme appears to be changing consumer behaviour, with more people asking businesses for official bills and reporting shops that refuse to provide them.

The Inland Revenue Department says complaints against businesses refusing to issue proper bills have increased since the reward programme began on Shrawan 1. Consumers can participate in the programme through eligible purchases and get a chance to win cash prizes.

Complaints Over Businesses Refusing Bills Increase

According to the Inland Revenue Department, many recent complaints involve shops that are already registered for tax but still refuse to provide customers with official bills.

Department director and information officer Keshav Raghuvanshi said complaints submitted through the government's Hello Sarkar platform increasingly involve businesses refusing to issue bills.

He said consumers have a right to receive an original bill after making a purchase and that encouraging people to demand bills is one of the main purposes of the reward programme.

The department is also preparing to increase market monitoring following the rise in complaints.

Bill Uploads Jump Sharply

Government data shows a major increase in consumer participation during the programme's first month.

During the first 15 days, only 7,077 bills from cash transactions were uploaded for the reward scheme.

From Shrawan 16 to 31, the number jumped to 357,149 bills.

That represents a dramatic rise in consumer participation within just two weeks.

QR Payments Also Increase

The programme has also seen strong participation through QR payments.

QR transactions automatically enter eligible consumers into the reward scheme.

According to the department:

• First 15 days: 25,608,094 QR transactions

• Second 15 days: 32,086,380 QR transactions

• Total transactions after Shrawan 15: 32,443,229

The figures indicate growing participation in digital payments as well as the reward programme.

Government Offers Daily and Bumper Prizes

The government has introduced cash prizes to encourage consumers to demand and retain official bills.

The scheme includes:

• Rs 100,000 daily prize, after tax deduction

• Rs 10 crore bumper prize every 15 days, subject to tax

• Eligible purchases can automatically or manually enter consumers into the reward system depending on the payment method

The programme is designed not only to increase bill collection but also to encourage consumers to become more active participants in the formal economy.

Some Businesses Still Avoid Issuing Proper Bills

Despite the increase in consumer awareness, the Inland Revenue Department says problems remain.

Officials have received complaints that some tax-registered businesses refuse to provide original bills or issue bills showing amounts different from what customers actually paid.

The department has also found cases where the amount paid through QR and the amount shown on the bill did not match.

Officials say digital transactions can be tracked through the payment system, making accurate billing increasingly important for businesses.

Government Sees Consumers as Part of the Tax System

Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle has described the programme as an investment in creating more aware consumers.

According to the minister, encouraging people to demand and receive bills can increase government revenue while helping bring more transactions into the formal economy.

He has also encouraged reward winners to act as ambassadors for the campaign by promoting the habit of taking bills in their communities.