Local traders have urged the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) to honour its commitments made with them last year regarding total audit and other tax-related issues.
Addressing a joint news conference here on Sunday, Chairman Azam Cloth Market Board Hafiz Abid Ali and Senior Vice President Qaumi Tajir Itehad Babar Ali Khan alleged that CBR had committed with the traders community last year that Income Tax Department will select only 4 percent cases for total audit but now it has selected 23 percent of the filed cases for this purpose, which is a sheer violation of the agreement.
Moreover, they claimed that the CBR had committed with traders that the receipt issued for filing of an income tax return will be considered as an assessment order and the audit will be done only in case of concealment.
But the tax officials are not honouring this commitment, they said. "By doing so bureaucracy is creating rift between the government and traders community," they said.
They also urged the government to take measurers to restore the confidence of traders in the revenue collecting agencies and provide relief to the traders. They suggested to the CBR to concentrate on broadening the tax base instead of putting burden on taxpayers in shape of higher tax rate.
They further demanded for withdrawal of powers of the commissioners of income tax under section 177 and 122 of the income tax ordinance. "We are also ready to come on negotiation table to resolve these issues with CBR authorities," they further said.
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