Bureau announces amnesty for industry to clear past sales tax liabilities
World Bank (WB) Country Director for Pakistan Patchamuthu Illangovan (Illango) said that the bank was assisting the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in introducing business-friendly measures and reforming the taxation system.
During a call on meeting with FBR Chairman, Syed Muhammad Shabbar Zaidi, the WB head appreciated the measures taken by FBR to facilitate the taxpayers particularly the steps to redress the grievances of taxpayers, said a statement issued by the board.
He welcomed the appointment of Syed Shabbar Zaidi as Chairman FBR and hoped that under his command the FBR would be able to devise a strategy to achieve its targets in the long run.
Announcing amnesty for industry, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) urged the industrialists and manufacturers to take advantage of the Asset Declaration Scheme and clear their past sales tax liabilities by paying just two percent tax till June 30, 2019 or the law would take its due course after the expiry of the data.
"A special clause has been included in the Asset Declaration Scheme, which was not included in it earlier, which is that if anybody is having sales tax liability he or she may clear these by paying just two percent tax," the Chairman FBR, Muhammad Shabbar Zaidi said while addressing a press conference at FBR house here.
He said that currently there were around 341,174 industrial electricity connection and 7000 industrial gas connections, however compared to this the sales tax registration of industry was just 38,937, which he said was a huge gap.
"It is my request to all industrial consumers to take advantage of the scheme before June 30 and may be it (the scheme) do not remain in the same shape after July 1st," so the people using industrial utility connections should take advantage, the Chairman added.
He said that there were possibilities that these industrial consumer connections might include some connections that come under cotton industry under law, however, added that there was dire need to check this huge difference.
"It would be our desire
that under the special clause placed in Asset Declaration Scheme, the industries falling in the category pay two percent to clear past liabilities," the chairman added.
He said that after July 1st, the FBR would make necessary legislation to get these industries and manufacturers registered and would also take actions.
He urged the media to sensitize people on the issue so that those avoiding to clear their past sales tax liabilities might realize this gap and get registered with FBR by taking advantage of the Asset Declaration Scheme.
He said that the FBR would try its best to make it voluntary and do not indulge in harassment, as it wanted to create environment for the businesses.
To a question, the FBR Chairman said that there were around 3.1 million commercial consumers, however added that the strategy on how to get the unregistered consumers to get registered with FBR would be shared with media.
To another questions, the Chairman FBR said that there were over one lack companies registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP), however just 50,000 were filing their returns.
He said that it was high time for those having industrial connections to get registered with FBR and take benefit of the Tax Declaration Scheme.
It is pertinent to mention here that the government last week had announced Asset Declaration Scheme, providing one more opportunity to all Pakistani citizens to declare and legalize undisclosed assets inside and outside the country by paying just four percent taxes on all assets other than real estate.
The scheme would be applicable till June 30, and all Pakistan citizens, other than those holding public offices or their dependents, would be able to take benefit from it. The basic purpose of the scheme was to document economy and make the dead assets functional to promote economy by encouraging businessmen to participate in the legal economy.