Kathmandu, Aug. 2: The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has launched an online portal for its taxpayer incentive scheme, allowing consumers who pay in cash to upload their purchase bills for a chance to win cash rewards.
In a notice issued on Saturday, the department called on consumers to register original VAT or PAN invoices for eligible cash purchases through the newly launched portal.
According to IRD Deputy Director General and Joint Secretary Janak Raj Sharma, anyone who has purchased goods or services worth more than Rs. 100 in cash since July 17 (Shrawan 1) and received an original VAT or PAN bill is eligible to participate in the scheme.
“We have launched the website prize.ird.gov.np from Saturday,” Sharma said. “Consumers making cash purchases of more than Rs. 100 for personal use anywhere in Nepal can upload their original bills through the portal and enter the reward programme.”
The department said consumers who pay through bank or digital wallet QR codes do not need to upload their bills. Those transactions are automatically captured by the system, and the QR payment transaction number will serve as the entry for the prize draw.
However, the IRD has advised consumers to keep their original VAT or PAN bills safe, as they will be required to produce them to claim any prize.
The department also urged shoppers to ask for official VAT or PAN invoices for every purchase and report businesses that refuse to issue bills.
The first draw, covering the programme’s initial 15 days, is expected to be announced next week.
“From a technical standpoint, we are ready. If there are no major technical issues, we expect to announce the first results next week,” the department said.
Under the scheme, one winner will receive Rs. 100,000 every day after applicable tax deductions. In addition, one bumper prize of Rs. 1 million will be awarded every 15 days.
Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle announced the taxpayer incentive programme in the 2026/27 national budget to encourage consumers to demand official bills, strengthen tax compliance, and bring more business transactions into the formal economy.
The Ministry of Finance approved the programme’s operating procedures in the final week of the previous fiscal year. Under the guidelines, the government will award daily cash prizes of Rs. 100,000 and a Rs. 1 million bumper prize every 15 days, resulting in two bumper winners each month.
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