Juggling between signing papers and answering rushed phone calls, Tilak Bahadur Khadka, chief tax officer of the Inland Revenue Department, was already deep in his daily work as I entered his office on a recent morning. 

He set aside the files on his table for the interview, but every now and then our conversation would be interrupted by phone calls. It’s a busy job being a tax officer.   

Khadka has been working in the sector of civil service for more than 20 years now. “All my life, I have taught myself to figure things out as I go along, and I've never looked back and regretted my decisions,” he says. 

Khadka was born and raised in a simple family in western Rukum. He passed the school leaving certificate (SLC) test in 1988, securing the highest percentage in his district. In his heart, he wanted to study science and become an engineer or a doctor. But things didn’t pan out according to his plan.

After passing the SLC exams, Khadka got a job offer to teach Maths, Science, and English at a local secondary school. To his surprise, he found the teaching process enjoyable. He even managed to offer private tuition to the students. He did his Bachelor’s in Education from Rukum, majoring in mathematics. 

“Back then everybody studied for Public Service Commission exams to land a government job. Although I genuinely enjoyed teaching, I also prepared for commission’s exams because everyone around me was doing it,” Khadka says. 

He passed the tests and came to Kathmandu, where he enrolled for a Master's degree in Public Administration. And when the time came to sit for the Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (SSC CGL) exams, he couldn’t decide whether he wanted to go to the department of administration or revenue. Khadka gave the test for both departments and passed both of them. 

Khadka passed the interview for the revenue department, thus beginning his career. "I did better in revenue exams, and so I felt confident in pursuing in the field," he says. 

He started as a non-gazetted second-class officer in Achham district in November 2002.

Khadka has been working in the Inland Revenue Department, Koteshwor branch, Kathmandu, since 19 October 2020. Before that, he used to work for the then Province 5 Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning in Butwal, now Lumbini Province.

Khadka says though there are endless ups, downs, and overtimes in his line of work, he has also learned a lot over the years. 

“I honestly have no complaints,” he says. “My favorite part of this job is the thought of how my contributions here add to the economy of the country.” 

Khadka’s work sometimes demands extra working hours, which encroaches upon his private life. But he says he has grown to enjoy his work. “This has become my life at this point,” he laughs stacking files on his desk. 

Khadka and his colleagues are normally swamped with work during the tax season. He says things could be much simpler if people and businesses paid their taxes regularly and on time.  

“Paying taxes on time is one’s responsibility, not something they are forced to do,” he says.