The Central Board of Revenue has initiated a policy of befriending the taxpayers through a campaign inviting them to take advantage of the course of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), which has been recently introduced to avoid prolonged litigation in higher courts. In a letter to the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), the legal wing of the CBR has highlighted the advantages of the system of alternate dispute resolution. It has been pointed out that the disputes on specific issues of tax liabilities of a taxpayer can be amicably resolved and settled out of court.
At the same time, a better understanding of the positions taken from different angles by the tax authorities on the one hand and the taxpayers on the other, may be created between the two sides, thereby paving the way for confidence and trust on the part of the taxpayer in his future dealings with the taxation officials.
It has also been emphasised by the CBR that in the event of a taxpayer remaining dissatisfied with the dispute resolution by the committee constituted for this purpose, would continue to have the right to go in appeal to a tribunal or to a higher court.
The CBR move will, therefore, be seen as a laudable one because long pending tax disputes in higher courts not only adversely affect the pace of tax collection, which is urgently needed by the government, but the taxpayer involved in the litigation, also suffers in the sense that his resources remain blocked besides expending energy and bearing the burden of financial costs of legal redress.
The initiative is definitely reflective of the consistency shown by CBR in pursuit of necessary tax reforms as envisaged by the government in the light of the recommendations of the various task forces and within the parameters set out by their consultants.
It is also reassuring, that about 50 percent of tax appeals in tax disputes between the government and the taxpayers have been withdrawn from the courts, as revealed at a meeting of the CBR Board-in-Council.
The withdrawn cases also include a number of references filed by the legal wing of the CBR against various taxpayers.
The CBR chairman has reportedly instructed the legal wing to further reduce the pending cases to a minimum number. The trend is indicative of increasing inclination of the taxpayers to resolve their disputes through the specialised committees instituted by the CBR.
These measures by the CBR may lead to opening of a new chapter in the overall efforts on the part of the government to win the confidence of the taxpayers and assist in the development of a tax compliance culture which is conspicuous by its absence in the country so far.
The Board-in-Council has also decided to direct the various divisions of the CBR to take immediate steps to promote schemes conforming to the concept of self-assessment in both direct and indirect tax regimes.
The chairman has reportedly emphasised the need for simplification of procedures in a wide range to facilitate taxpayers in the submission of their tax returns. This policy would definitely accelerate the process of taxation reforms to the desired extent.
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