The Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry while stressing the need for initiating debate on taxation on agriculture sector has urged the Tax Reforms Commission (TRC) to introduce innovative ways to tax this potential sector either through land revenue or agriculture produce, together with enhancement of capability of revenue collection authorities.
In its suggestions submitted to the Commission, the LCCI observed that tax culture must be promoted in the country besides broadening the tax net and enhancing tax to GDP ratio. Tax administration organisations have suffered from inefficient and fragmented management weak human resources and rent seeking behaviour. Weak tax administration results in high tax avoidance and opens up avenues for corruption while lack of conviction, discretion of tax officials and the lack of documentation together make it difficult to achieve desired revenue targets.
While emphasising on rationalisation of direct and indirect taxes, the LCCI said that the tax policy should be based on the principles of equity and fairness to facilitate economic growth. "Tax for all and reduction of rate of taxes" would act as panacea in the current situation of the country. Tax reduction and broadening of tax net is to be connected to make the phenomenon successful. It has become very unattractive for a person to come into the tax net as the rate of Sales Tax is very high and even higher when other taxes are accumulated. Single digit rate of sales tax should be imposed which will eventually enhance the contribution to the national exchequer.
Business people don't want to come into the tax net because of very inconsistent policies of the government as ever mounting rate of tax scares the business community. There should be consistency up to a reasonable extent at least. A lower rate of tax should be fixed for a longer period of time to give confidence to the business community. The mounting rate of sales tax and other relevant taxes provoke smuggling. When rate of sales tax increases to 17 percent, it opens the way of smuggling.
There is no chain of billing in the country and there is a dire need of establishing a billing system ranging from importer to retailers while getting Sales Tax registration has become very difficult which hinders retailers to get into the tax net.
The LCCI further suggested that the corporate tax rate should be reduced to less than 30 percent over the next 2-3 years to facilitate economic growth. Exemption and tax credits should be reduced with immediate effect to remove distortions in the tax system. Withholding tax regime should be rationalised so as to lessen the burden on low income individuals while the Wealth Tax system should be revived to tax individuals with large wealth.
The Lahore Chamber further said that broad based system should be introduced that would replace the current GST regime together with its implementation and management plan. Taxpayers' visibility should be enhanced and should be given special privileges to attract additional tax payers. Complexity of tax laws, cumbersome procedures, partiality of the administration towards dishonest tax payers and protracted judicial process are significant contributory factors for tax evasion.
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