Sindh Revenue Board (SRB) has issued a notification of Sindh Sales Tax Relief Package (SSTRP) to facilitate taxpayers at maximum. According to SRB, the board on request of the taxpayers and taxpayers' associations with the approval of the Sindh government, has issued SSTRP vide its notification No. SRB-3-4/11/2018 dated May 18, 2018, which provides substantial benefits and relief to the taxpayers, service providers and withholding agents in return of their tax compliance, under the Sindh Sales Tax on Services Act, 2011.
The SSTRP allows exemption up to 95 percent of the amount of default surcharge, total remission of penalties and immunity from arrest and prosecution if the taxpayer deposits:-
(a) the liability of the arrears of tax plus 5% of the amount of default surcharge thereon between 21st May, 2018 to 27th May, 2018;(b) the liability of arrears of tax plus 10% of the amount of default surcharge thereon between 28th May, 2018 to 3rdJune, 2018;
(c) The liability of arrears of tax plus 15% of the amount of default surcharge between 4th June, 2018 to 10th June, 2018; and
(d) the liability of arrears of tax plus 20% of the amount of default surcharge between 11th June, 2018 to 20th June, 2018.
In cases where no tax liability is outstanding but only the arrears of amounts of penalty and default surcharge are outstanding, the relief package allows the remission of 90% of the amount of such penalty and 75% of the amount of such default surcharge, if the balance of the amounts of penalty and default surcharge is deposited during the period from 21st May, 2018 to 20th June, 2018.
The SRB has advised all taxpayers, service providers and withholding agents to avail the benefits of the said package which would expire at the end of June 20, 2018. The relief announced under the said notification provides an opportunity to the taxpayers who, for any reason, have not been able to clear up their tax liabilities, due to accumulation of penalties and amounts of default surcharge over a period of time. This may also help reduce the litigation in cases where the taxpayers have gone to the courts of law seeking relief on default surcharge or penalty.