KARACHI: The Sales tax registered taxpayers are encountering difficulties in obtaining biometric verification from NADRA e-Sahulat centres, as required under SRO 350(I)/2024.

According to SRO 350(I)/2024, issued on March 7, 2024, individuals, Association of Persons (AOPs), and single-member companies registered for sales tax must undergo annual biometric re-verification every July. However, taxpayers were informed by NADRA e-Sahulat centres that they were unable to process their requests due to integration issues with the FBR system, the complainants said.

They said that the common error message “CNIC does not exist” has left many taxpayers concerned about meeting the July 31, 2024 deadline. Failure to complete the verification process could result in inability to file monthly sales tax returns without obtaining permission from their respective jurisdiction’s Commissioner, they added.

While the business community generally supports the measure as a means to combat fake invoices and improve compliance, they highlighted several issues with the implementation.

FBR has addressed some concerns but further modifications are needed, they said and urged the board to resolve these technical issues promptly to ensure smooth compliance with the new regulations and avoid potential disruptions in tax filing processes.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024