Repeated maladministration to taxpayers: FTO directs FBR to take action against RTO Rawalpindi officers

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has directed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to take immediate action against the delinquent tax officers of Regional Tax Office (RTO) Rawalpindi involved in repeated maladministration to the sales tax registered taxpayers.

According to an order issued by the FTO against the RTO Rawalpindi, the agony suffered and borne by the taxpayer since 2011 must be immense.

The FTO office is shocked that the RTO Rawalpindi attached the bank account of the complainant and recovered the sales tax demand, amounting to Rs 16, 73,244 without due process of law.

The FTO has directed the FBR to instruct Member-IR (Operations) FBR to get conducted a fact-finding enquiry to identify delinquent officers responsible for maladministration in this case. The chief commissioner, RTO, Rawalpindi to allow refund of already-recovered amount of Rs 1,673,244.

The FTO order revealed that an in-depth study of the whole case casts serious aspersions on the working of FBR. Initially, a demand of Rs 2,552,008 (principal amount) was created by audit officer for the tax period 2009 and 2010 on the grounds of (i) non-production of record (ii) difference in Income Tax and Sales Tax Returns and (iii) discrepancy in E-Folder of FBR Web Portal and STR declaration. On rejection of appeal, by the CIR (Appeal) vide order dated 31.05.2012 the department recovered Rs 1,673,244 on 06.06.2012 pertaining to ground (iii) as aforementioned by attaching bank account of the complainant. The department again decided the case and reduced the recoverable amount to Rs 1,674,321.

Now in compliance of CIR (Appeals-III) Rawalpindi, the Assistant Commissioner-IR A&E, Unit-I (City Zone) RTO Rawalpindi vide Sales Tax Order-in-Remand No 40/2023-24 has vacated the earlier adjudged liability of Rs 1,624,321. During hearing, the AR informed that he has not received the said Order-in-Remand.

Accordingly, a copy was provided to him. This is a serious case infested with multiple shades of maladministration, the FTO order added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024