ISLAMABAD: The federal government finally announced tax amnesty scheme 2019 for people having undisclosed assets to become part of documented economy. The scheme has been announced at four percent of tax to declared hidden assets other than immovable properties.
The scheme is available for Pakistani citizens who have evaded taxes other than public office holders.
The scheme will be applicable till June 30, 2019, Advisor to Prime Minister Finance, Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said at a press conference while announcing the scheme after its formal approval by the federal cabinet on Tuesday.
The advisor was accompanied by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, State Minister for Revenues, Hammad Azhar and Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Syed Shabbar Zaidi.
“Basic purpose of the scheme is not to generate revenue but to document economy and make the dead assets functional to promote economy,” Shaikh said.
The advisor urged the business community to participate in this amnesty scheme to document their concealed assets.
Inviting all such people who had their undeclared assets to take benefit from this scheme, the Advisor said this was the last chance as the government had already imposed the Benami Law under which all such benami properties would be confiscated by the government.
He said efforts have been made to make the scheme easy in understanding as well as implementing.
He said all assets were included in the scheme inside or outside Pakistan. All assets other than real estate, would have to pay four percent to get these legalized.
In case of real estate, it would be evaluated at 1.5-time on existing FBR value, to bring it to market value he said.
For Pakistanis living abroad, the advisor said that they can pay four percent to legalize their money subject to bringing cash or other kind into Pakistan.
Otherwise they would have to pay 6 percent to legalize their assets, he added.
Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar said there was a lot of difference between the current and previous amnesty schemes as for the first time there was a condition for all asset declarer to become tax filer besides giving option to all such people to revise their balance sheet in their tax returns.
