The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has empowered the Foreign Affairs Ministry to issue exemption certificates to the United Nations and its affiliated organisations for levying zero-percent sales tax on the supplies made by the registered people to these organisations. The CBR has amended Sales Tax Rules 2004 through an SRO. 42(I)/2004 issued here on Thursday.
Previously, the UN or organisations working under it, desirous of taking a zero-rated sales tax supply from a registered person will apply to the assistant collector/deputy collector along with an exemption order, signed by the competent officer of the United Nations.
However, now the Foreign Affairs Ministry will issue exemption certificate instead of the UN.
The assistant collector/deputy collector would make entries of the goods to be purchased on the original exemption order, keeping the same for official record and issue an "Authorisation for zero-rated supply".
The registered person would make the zero-rated supply and keep record of the same for presentation to the Sales Tax Department as and when required.
Officials said that the procedure for diplomats/diplomatic missions desirous of taking a zero-rated supply from a registered person has not been changed. They would continue to apply to the assistant collector/deputy collector along with the exemption certificate, in original, issued by the Foreign Affairs Ministry.