Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Sohail Ahmad, assuring the businessmen and traders' community of continuing self-assessment scheme, has said that the government will also adopt audit mechanism to ensure full compliance of taxation policies.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of one of 30 taxpayers facilitation kiosk at Liberty Market here on Saturday evening, he said that it was the declared policy of the government that both the taxpayers and the tax collector had to work together and it was not a relationship of conflict or competition. In reply to a demand of extension in the tax return filing date, he said that it would be reviewed especially in the wake of Ramazan and that he would definitely look into it if found that this deadline was tight.
However, he asked the businessmen community to make payment of their due taxes by September 30, in any case. He talked about the financial constraints being faced by the government due to IDPs rehabilitation and other things. He said that the government had given two salaries to government employees this month, including one before time, due to Ramazan and Eid ul Fitr.
About the policy of audit, he said that some 2.5 million people got their National Tax Numbers (NTNs) but only 40-50 percent of them were active, and very few of those were actually paying taxes. He said that FBR officers had been asked not to go into remote past while carrying out audit. However, he said, the taxpayers should also pay their taxes honestly, and assured them of to taking action if anybody irritated taxpayers unjustifiably.
FBR Chairman said that it would be the efforts of the Board that those who got their NTNs but were not showing any taxable income for last eight to ten years and their expenses were not according to their returns, should be thoroughly checked. Nevertheless, he said, such taxpayers had a chance to correct themselves. He said that the Board would definitely look for new taxpayers but would also detect those who have NTN but were not paying taxes.
"If our masses want to get rid of IMF or World Bank then they have to pay their due taxes honestly and sincerely," Sohail said. He expressed hope that the Board would meet the revenue target fixed for the current fiscal year. Lahore Regional Tax Office (RTO) Director General Shaukat Ali said that taxpayers' facilitation centres were among different steps being taken under taxation reforms.
He said that such centres were set up every year and this year these had been set up at 30 different points in Lahore region. He said that these centres would be equipped with fully trained staff, fast internet, e-filing system, NTN issuance facility, etc. Liberty Market Traders Association General Secretary Tariq also spoke on this occasion.