Like me, thousands of salaried people (even those above the Rs 0.5 million annual salary income) are not clued into enough to do e-filing of tax returns. Thousands, like me, do not even have computers at home. So why is the FBR, on IMF or World Bank pressure, insisting on e-filing of income-tax returns? This should be optional not mandatory. It is upto the FBR to explain the ground realities existing here to the WB and IMF.
In fact, the FBR will reduce their workload by accepting the annual income tax deduction certificates issued by employers as a final tax payment, excepting of course in those cases where salaried people have other sources of income as well. Such people are anyway required to submit their wealth tax returns separately. The FBR should not insist on e-filing here either.
There are minimum leakages in the income tax deducted by employers at the source. So the FBR should really focus on non-salaried people such as businessmen, landlords (land and building owners) feudals/agriculturists and big time owners of farm lands, professional people ie lawyers, doctors, consultants etc.
Making e-filing mandatory, instead of optional, for any type/category of tax payers will only force people (not clued into e-filing) to delay filing their tax returns. Besides, why should we have to incur an expense of Rs 5,000/- or more to hire tax consultants to do e-filing on our behalf? FBR please note the above and take appropriate action.