Rs 39.36 billion sales tax refund claims withheld

Due to the taxpayers' manipulation of sales tax refunds documents the Collectorate of Sales Tax Refunds has stopped sales tax refund claims amounting to Rs 39.36 billion. Official sources told Business Recorder on Monday that a huge number of sales tax refund claims have been lying pending for years due to manipulation in documents of refund claims filed by the taxpayers.
They said that refund claims were either intentionally or unwittingly being manipulated by taxpayers, hence claims were not considered as valid in computerised sales tax process and declared as invalid since correction would be made by claimants.
Sources said that a high incidence of manipulation detected in suppliers' invoices attached to claimants refund documents caused to create problems in clearance of sales tax refund claims besides generating excessive burden on concerned taxmen.
They apprised that around Rs 18.45 billion has been debited on account of fresh sales tax refund claims during the current fiscal year, while about Rs 20.91 billion has been stuck up for past several years where the clearance process was being underway and it would be paid soon.
"Viewing the problems of taxpayers, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has established Fast Track Counter (FTC) to check the position of refund claims on almost every processing level aimed to facilitate claimants, besides informing them about hurdles in their sales tax refund claims," sources added.
Moreover, they cited the board had also declared a large number of export items as 'Zero-rating', besides accepting sales tax refund claims only on non-traditional items with the view to facilitating taxpayers to enhance their business circle and generate foreign exchange, they said.
However, taxpayers said that due to recurrently changes in taxation and refund claim procedure created problems in filing sales tax refund documents. They said the board should eliminate errors in Starr and Custom Care System software, which would help to extend the circle of exports besides providing opportunity to taxpayers for enjoying flawless computerised taxation set-up.