Regional Tax Office (RTO)-II has served show-cause notice on former President Asif Ali Zardari for allegedly paying duty and taxes of luxury vehicles from a 'benami account'; it was learnt. According to sources, the field formations of tax offices have now obtained all financial details and started serving show-cause notices to them under section 122 and section 111 (1)(c) of Income Tax Ordinance 2001.
Furthermore, sources said that during the probe conducted by Joint Investigation Team (JIT) into fake/benami accounts on the directives of Supreme Court of Pakistan, it was revealed that duty and taxes of luxury vehicles, gifted by foreign states to former President Asif Ali Zardari, were paid from one of the benami accounts.
Sources said that three pay-orders amounting to over Rs. 30 million were issued from one of the fake bank accounts and submitted to the collector customs Islamabad in May 2014 against the payment of duty and taxes of these luxury vehicles (Two BMW 760 bullet proof and a LEXUS 570 bullet proof).
The RTO-II alleged former President Asif Ali Zardari as beneficiary of these three pay-orders submitted against the payment of duty and taxes of three luxury vehicles as he was the registered owner of these vehicles, they added.
Moreover, sources said that RTO-II in its show-cause notice claimed that former president had not declared the receipts of said payment in his income tax return for tax year 2014, which needed definite information in terms of sub-section (8) of section 122 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
Therefore, former president has been requested to appear in person or through authorized representative on or before March 25, 2019 at RTO-II for clarify his position against the show-cause notice, sources said. Replying to a question, sources said that if no reply was received by due date, it would be considered that he had nothing to offer in his defense and in such case, the amended assessment order would be passed against him for the aforesaid tax year.