ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) office conducted record 203 Own Motion (OMs) investigations in potential areas/ sectors during 2023 against 187 OMs in 2022, reflecting an increase of 16 investigations.

The new annual report of the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) for 2023 issued on Thursday revealed that the major issues of investigation included wrong collection of taxes from consumers on electricity bills and valuation on immovable properties and tax affairs of Private Medical Colleges/ Controlling Entities.

Own Motion investigation means an investigation initiated by the Federal Tax Ombudsman on its own to investigate any allegation of maladministration on the part of Revenue Division or any tax employee.

The section 9(1) of the office of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, 2000 empowers the Federal Tax Ombudsman to initiate own motion. These investigations are usually based on any of the following grounds or any other basis which the FTO has reasons to believe that such own motion would make the tax system just and fair:-

(i); A complaint received from an individual complainant can also be made basis for own motion investigation at large scale, where there are reasons to believe that such malpractice is being done across the board.

(ii); where there are systematic inconsistencies in procedures adopted by the tax machinery.

(iii); On the basis of information available publicly in media reports, press clippings or research articles. iv. Identify and recommend to the Revenue Division to address deficiencies in the existing laws/rules and procedures, FTO report added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024