'CBR for registration of big retailers under tax net'

Collector Sales Tax Lahore, Muhammad Ashraf Khan, has said that there are as many as 21,969 enrolled manufacturers and retailers who would be de-registered from Sales Tax in Lahore region out of total 40,000 liable to be de-registered all over the country. Out of it, 3,454 manufacturers/retailers have already been de-registered by the collectorate by filing nil returns on regular basis.
He stated this while addressing the Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) here on Thursday.
Regarding simplification of registration in Sales Tax, he said that the application form for registration/de-registration should be submitted to Local Registration Office (LRO) by courier service instead of submitting by hand in order to minimise the contact between tax collector and taxpayer.
After processing of applications LRO would transmit application electronically to Central Registration Office (CRO), he said, adding that his office has received 135 applications till date while 33 certificates have been awarded by the CBR.
He said that they had a module in which details of these applications were fed and later transmitted electronically to the CBR. He also appealed to the LCCI members to play their role in getting registered those manufacturers and retailers who have over Rs 5 million annual sale.
Collector Sales Tax also paid gratitude to the business community of Lahore for assisting them to meet the target for the last fiscal. He said that they consider them as their partner in collection of Sales Tax instead of taxpayer.
He said that their office would be holding a special function on July 21 to honour the business community for helping in achieving the target.
To a query with regard to problems being faced by businessmen in getting input adjustment/refund of a registered person under section 73, the Collector Sales Tax said that CBR has made the procedure simplified and also issued a notification in this regard.
Regarding refund he said that Rs 52 billion had been refunded in 2003-04 as compared to Rs 44 billion in the year 2002-03. He asked the LCCI members to send their proposals to CBR to ensure resolution to their problems.
Later Additional Collector, Asim Majeed, gave a presentation to LCCI members about incentives given to the business community in the budget for the current year. His presentation covered salient features, relief measures and simplification measures announced in the budget.
Earlier the LCCI Chief, Mian Anjum Nisar in his welcome address highlighted problems being faced by the business community. Others who participated in discussion included former LCCI Chief Sheikh Asif, SVP LCCI Mian Misbah-ur-Rehman, Muhammad Ali Mian, Irfan Qaiser and Ashraf Bhatti.