Fifty-three more politicians will be targeted for tax investigations after they were found to have paid their taxes incorrectly, Auditor-General Pisit Leelavachiropas said yesterday.
On Friday, the auditor-general said there were 60 politicians found to have paid their taxes incorrectly and who had been targeted for tax probes.
The latest figures revealed yesterday have brought the total number of politicians targeted for tax probes to 113.
The 113 politicians are from previous administrations led by former prime ministers Abhisit Vejjajiva and Yingluck Shinawatra, Mr Pisit told a seminar on corruption organised by The Relatives of the May 1992 Heroes Foundation in Bangkok's Samsen area yesterday.
But their identities have not yet been disclosed.
Mr Pisit yesterday said that the 60 politicians have been targeted first because they are "big cases" with their assets increasing by more than 50 million baht, Mr Pisit said.
There are still more of them in addition to the 60 politicians, he said.
Mr Pisit told the seminar that the Office of the Auditor-General (OAG) had not discriminated against any particular groups, but the OAG is duty-bound to ensure that taxes and revenues are collected properly.
Mr Pisit said the 60 politicians still have the opportunity to properly pay taxes so as to avoid hefty fines.
He said the OAG had told the Revenue Department to trace tax payments of politicians to the Abhisit government to ensure fairness to all political parties, although the OAG has received no reply from the department so far.
"If the Revenue Department still sits idly by and does nothing, they should not receive their salary which comes from taxpayers' money. If tax inspectors are afraid of wrongdoers who fail to pay taxes completely, they should be ashamed of getting their salary," Mr Pisit said.
He explained that the OAG found the assets of the 60 politicians had increased after they left their ministerial posts. The assets of some of the politicians had later increased by up to 1 billion baht, he said.
He said the assets that had later increased are considered as assessable income that is subject to tax under Section 39 of the Revenue Code.
When the OAG examined income tax forms submitted by these politicians, it found that most had only submitted their salaries for tax evaluation, not the increased assets, Mr Pisit said.