ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is waiting for tax profiling of millions of citizens being done by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to launch the biggest documentation drive at the national level.

Sources told Business Recorder on Wednesday that the FBR has yet not received tax profiles finalised by NADRA. The authority has reportedly finalised the profiles of non-filers, but yet not shared anything with the tax authorities of FBR.

Once NADRA’s profiles are available with the FBR, the tax department would be in a position to comment on the authenticity of such profiling to document non-filers. The said profiles of the NADRA would be used to launch the documentation exercise as promised by Finance Minister Shaukat Tarin.

Last week, Tarin announced that the non-filers and those liable to pay taxes should “immediately start paying their due share before we approach them in the coming days. The un-registered persons would soon be approached backed by authentic data and estimated tax liability in the coming days. We have collected data of millions of taxpayers including bank accounts information, utility bills, travel and other data.

NADRA may compute income, tax liability of non-filers

"There is no need for giving notices to the people in the presence of concrete data. With the use of technology, the data would be shared with estimated tax and their financial transactions and expenditures.

"The draft tax returns would be shared with non-filers and ask them to rectify any mistakes. They would be allowed to consult the panel of auditors to check their draft returns. Even then, if the non-filers would not pay taxes, then the law would take its own course," he added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022