Kathmandu: The Government of Nepal has filed a lawsuit demanding over Rs 1.36 billion from Nepal Can Move Pvt Ltd and its operators, accusing them of large-scale tax evasion through concealed sales and undeclared income.
The Department of Revenue Investigation (DoRI) registered the case at the High Court on Sunday, charging Nepal Can Move Pvt Ltd, Nepal Can Group Pvt Ltd, and seven individuals, including key shareholders and company officials, of evading value-added tax (VAT) and income tax.
According to the DoRI, the company concealed significant portions of its income by bypassing Nepal’s tax system, conducting sales through an online portal with a server based in Australia. The department alleges that the accused deliberately kept the server overseas to avoid scrutiny by Nepal’s tax administration.
The accused individuals include major shareholder Sudip Acharya (55.33% shares), Jiwan Gyawali (16%), along with Ganga Bahadur Thapa, Manish Prasad Acharya, Mithu Paudel, Sangam Paudel (Deputy Executive Director), and others. Acharya and Gyawali, identified as the key figures behind the operations, reportedly failed to appear despite multiple summons and are currently absconding.
The DoRI has demanded Rs 684.4 million in unpaid taxes and an additional Rs 684.4 million in penalties, totaling Rs 1.368 billion.
Investigations revealed that the company engaged in manual billing to manipulate sales records and avoid tax obligations. The transactions were not reported to the Inland Revenue Department, violating provisions under the Revenue Leakage (Investigation and Control) Act, 2052 BS.
The DoRI said it confiscated key digital and financial documents, including the company’s trial balance records from fiscal year 2019/20 to mid-March of the current fiscal year 2025/26, further substantiating the claims.
The case is seen as part of a broader government crackdown on financial crimes and tax evasion.