A chance to meet some of your favourite celebrities while travelling home for Chinese New Year.

And to learn about income tax.

In its latest strategy to compel taxpayers to pay their dues, the Inland Revenue Board (IRB) has joined forces with actors Fizz Fairuz and Remy Ishak as well as singers Elizabeth Tan and Ippo Hafiz to hold “meet and greet” sessions at popular rest and service areas (R&R) along the North-South Expressway.

The event, titled “Sharing Nation’s Prosperity”, is both part of the IRB’s public education efforts and its attempt at a “soft approach” to endear itself to the public, said the board’s public relations officer Masrun Maslim.

“Based on our research, if it’s only us who tell people 'please pay tax', people will find that hard to accept.

“By using icons who already have their own influence and followers, it will be easier to get the IRB’s message across.

“We also want to present the IRB as a friendly agency. Hopefully, a ‘soft approach’ will make people more receptive (to us) and abide by the tax system,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Tomorrow’s (Feb 13) session will be at the Seremban (South-facing) R&R while Wednesday’s session will be held at the Tapah (North-facing) R&R.

Masrun, who is attached to IRB chief executive officer Sabin Samitah’s office, added that an information counter offering advisory services and quizzes will also be set up at the events.

“We hope to approach more prospective taxpayers... we have to start making sure that they are aware of their responsibility towards our nation,” he said.

The IRB has in recent months stepping up its tax collection rate, even partnering with the Customs Department to expedite goods and services tax (GST) collection.  

It has begun taxing large online businesses and imposing higher penalties on tax evaders. 

IRB previously launched its largest operation to date involving more than 4,000 of its workforce to hit a tax collection target of RM134.7 billion for 2018, RM7.7 billion higher than its 2017 target.