The green channel or "Express Lane Facility" under One Customs clearance system would only be available to the importers covered under the "List of Active Taxpayers". Sources told Business Recorder on Saturday the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has issued instructions to the Model Customs Collectorates (MCCs) for implementation of the decision at all ports.
According to sources, the FBR has given an advantage to the persons covered under the "List of Active Taxpayers". These importers can enjoy speedy clearance facility of green channel or "Express Lane Facility". However, the FBR has restrained the non-active taxpayers from availing of the green channel facility. Express-lane facility is a speedy clearance facility available to the importers under One Customs system. The inactive taxpayers are no more allowed to clear their imported consignments under the green channel facility.
Under the new arrangement, whenever goods declaration (GD) has been filed by non-active taxpayer, an alert would be displayed at the computers of the customs clearance department that "to avail uninterrupted imports and exports clearance, keep yourself active. For becoming active taxpayer is very easy, you have to be consistently compliant in regularly filing income tax returns, ST&FE returns, withholding tax statements, timely paying taxes and responding to the legal notices.
Responding to a query, sources said that the FBR has issued electronic intimation letters to around 30,000 companies, Association of Persons (AOPs) and individuals to the non-filers of returns. These categories of taxpayers have to electronically file the returns.
In this connection, the FBR has issued electronic intimation letters to the registered units. Most of the notices have been served to the persons, who are already registered and enrolled on the FBR Web-Portal. The FBR has electronically received 135,000 returns, whereas electronic intimations have been dispatched to 30,000 companies, AOPs and individuals for compliance.