Street vendors, rag-pickers: 250 millionaires in UP you've probably never heard of

Next time you meet a street vendor and rag-picker in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur don't be mistaken that they are poor. According to the Income Tax Department there are as many as 256 street vendors and rag-pickers have been found to be millionaires who are evading taxes...

Kanpur: Next time you meet a street vendor or a rag-picker in Uttar Pradesh's Kanpur district don't be mistaken that they are from a poverty-stricken or poorly paid background. According to the Income Tax Department there are as many as 256 street vendors and rag-pickers in Kanpur who have been found to be millionaires. They smartly evade taxes. These vendors are said to have small shops where they sell eatables, snacks, paan etc.

As per the report, they never paid income tax and bought property worth rupees crores in expensive areas of the city. Some of them bought the property in their own name, while some bought in the name of their family members. Citing the excuse of small businesses, these people kept avoiding paying taxes.

They have also not made any registration of their businesses to avoid coming under the radar of the Income Tax department, informed an official.

These people invested their money, not at one but many places and have their accounts in small banks. As soon as they invested in properties, they came on the radar of the IT department, he added. The IT department further informed that action will be against defaulters after a thorough investigation.