The domestic payment and settlement network, Shaparak, has instructed payment facilitator companies to suspend 200,000 online gateways from the nationwide network because of nonpayment of taxes.
Operators of these gateways apparently failed to register their business transactions with the Iranian National Tax Administration and did not file tax returns.
According to Peyvast magazine, the total number of gateways on the Shaparak blacklist is estimated at 400,000. The blackout has created problems for businesses owning the payment gateways.
INTA in coordination with the Central Bank of Iran launched a program last year connecting payment gateways to the national tax system to curb tax evasion by businesses particularly in the high income brackets.
Accordingly, applicants for point-of-sale terminals or other payment gateways must first file tax returns and those already owning the machines are required to register their IDs with INTA.
Most business owners have failed to send their documents apparently because of concerns over higher taxes.
Last month Mohammad Barzegari, a senior INTA official, ruled out such concerns and said the intention is to improve transparency in the business sector.
Referring to the Direct Tax Act, he said tax is levied only on profit businesses make and not on the transactions per se.
Policymakers say the tax rules are expected to help “significantly curb” illegal activities using rented payment gateways. It also is crucial in detecting money laundering and online betting because owners of the gateways are accountable and must pay tax.
Barzegari said an estimated nine million POS terminals are about to be blacklisted by INTA because of tax issues.
