The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is exploring alternate options for delivery of notices to the potential taxpayers and decided to utilise alternate courier services and Pakistan Post extensively for areas not covered by other courier services.
According to a press release issued by the FBR here on Friday, during the first quarter of current financial year, 30,533 notices were issued to potential taxpayer in cases where FBR had information of quantifiable economic activity and the person was not on tax roll.
In order to ensure a higher standard of delivery of these notices, the online delivery report of the tracking software of the courier service has not been made the basis of reporting. Notices were reported as delivered only when the physical acknowledgement receipt with signature and particulars of a person received the notice back from the courier. So far, 11,373 notices have been delivered.
Out of these 1189 have registered themselves as taxpayers and 9,365 notices have been returned undelivered by the courier. Of the undelivered notices, 30 percent were returned due to incomplete addresses, 32 percent addresses were outside service areas of courier service, 15 percent had incorrect address, 18 percent cases were reported shifted or closed and a further 5 percent refused to receive the notice.
Delivery report of further 9,795 notices is in transit with courier. FBR is cognisant of the urgent need to improve the delivery rate and exploring alternate options for delivery of notices. It has been decided to utilise alternate courier services and Pakistan Post extensively for areas not covered by other courier services. NADRA has been contacted for provision of full addresses in cases where notices could not be served due to incomplete addresses or shifting of the potential taxpayers. As a last option the service through field staff shall be undertaken, FBR added.-PR