Ethical Dilemma
Should you help a Tax defaulter
Dr X is a leading medical practitioner in a city. He has set up a charitable trust through which he plans to establish a super-speciality hospital in the city to cater to the medical needs of all sections of the society. Incidentally, that part of the State had been neglected over the years. The proposed hospital would be a boon for the region. You are heading the tax investigation agency of that region. During an inspection of the doctor’s clinic, your officers have found out some major irregularities. A few of them are substantial which had resulted in considerable withholding of tax that should be paid by him now. The doctor is cooperative. He undertakes to pay the tax immediately. However, there are certain other deficiencies in his tax compliance which are purely technical in nature. If these technical defaults are pursued by the agency, considerable time and energy of the doctor will be diverted to issues which are not so serious, urgent or even helpful to the tax collection process. Further, in all probability, it will hamper the prospects of the hospital coming up.
There are two options before you:
1) Taking a broader view, ensure substantial tax compliance and ignore defaults that are merely technical in nature.
2) Pursue the matter strictly and proceed on all fronts, whether substantial or merely technical.
As the head of the tax agency, which course of action will you opt and why?
Aptitude & Foundational Values
Meaning of Aptitude
Dedication to Public Service
Impartiality and Non-partisanship
Blog Mentoring
Young Minds
Meaning of Aptitude
Dedication to Public Service
Impartiality and Non-partisanship
Blog Mentoring
Young Minds
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Insights with KM
Compassion is derived from the Latin "compati," which means 'to suffer with." In academic literature, there is a broad consensus that compassion involves an awareness of the other person's suffering and the consequent motivation to help or provide succour to the suffering individual. In his book Human Emotions, Lazarus defines compassion as "being moved by another's suffering and wanting to help." Similarly, Gilbert, in his book The Compassionate Mind: A new approach to life's challenges, interpreted compassion as a "deep awareness" of others' suffering combined with a desire to help. Most definitions of compassion focus on being touched by the other's suffering and the motivation to help. From an Indian perspective, compassion, known as karuna, is integral to the Buddhist value system and philosophy. Compassion or karuna is considered a "spiritual awareness" of others suffering. Dalai Lama defines compassion as an "openness to the suffering of others with a commitment to relive it."