KARACHI: “The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has achieved unprecedented success in 2024, maintaining an impressive 95.6% resolution rate after disposing of a record-breaking 12,914 complaints”.
This was stated by Faiz Elahi Memon, Advisor Incharge FTO along with other advisors including Gul Rehman, Badruddin Qureshi and Majid Yousfani at a press briefing held at FTO regional office, Karachi.
He said that the FTO office successfully disposed of 12,914 complaints out of total 13,506 complaints received in 2024, adding that around Rs 22 billion tax refunds were released by the FBR on the FTO recommendations.
Moreover, he said that the South Region, encompassing Karachi, Hyderabad, and Sukkur, emerged as a significant hub of activity with 2,477 total complaints. Karachi led with 1,989 cases, followed by Hyderabad with 335 and Sukkur with 153.
“This surge in complaints is largely attributed to an extensive public awareness campaign, featuring 78 Outreach Awareness Sessions conducted throughout these regions,” he informed.
A notable victory for consumers came when the FTO facilitated Rs 48 million in refunds to 800 vehicle owners who had been overcharged on sales tax by Pak Suzuki Motor Company Limited.
The refunds were issued after it was determined that customers had paid excess tax on vehicles up to 1000CC, where the actual applicable rate was 12.5 percent.
The office also demonstrated proactive oversight through suo moto actions, particularly in the education sector. Under the FTO’s directives, investigations were launched into more than 25 private sector medical colleges regarding excessive fee charges, with findings reported to relevant FBR authorities.
Furthermore, Memon said that teachers’ tax rebate issues received special attention, with the FTO successfully resolving complaints from educators who had been denied their rightful allowances by employers. This intervention provided significant relief to the teaching community who approached the Forum for assistance.
The record-breaking performance underscored the FTO’s crucial role in ensuring tax justice and maintaining transparency in the country’s federal tax system, while providing substantial relief to taxpayers across various sectors.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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