KARACHI: Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) has suggested the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to include the names of the taxpayers in the Active Taxpayers List (ATL), who filed the manual extensions within time and submitted returns, accordingly.

In a letter sent to Member IR (operations) Dr Muhammad Ashfaq Ahmed, the KTBA suggested that where taxpayers have filed the manual extensions within time and where the returns have been filed within the time applied for, the names of such taxpayers should be included in the ATL and the ATL be updated immediately without payment of surcharge as prescribed u/s.182A of the Ordinance.

It advised that the excel file (lists) available on the web portal of FBR was updated on a daily basis and the banks were also informed to rely on the online verification before deducting the tax on banking transactions in order to facilitate the taxpayers.

Furthermore, it said that there were several instances where the taxpayers have opted rightly to file their returns, in time, manually (paper returns) as they were legally not bound to file their returns electronically, their names are also not appearing in the ATL; adding that the manual returns have not been digitized and such taxpayers are facing severe problems due to non-appearance of their names in the ATL.

Keeping the said in view, the KTBA suggested that where taxpayers have rightly filed/submitted their returns manually (paper returns), the names of such taxpayers should be included in the ATL forthwith for their facilitation, it added.

Moreover, it also advised the board that where taxpayers have applied for extensions on IRIS in time, whose applications have remained unattended and the returns have been filed within the time, the names of such taxpayers should also be included in the ATL forthwith for their facilitation.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021