Government auditors cite persistent enforcement gaps as over 1,180 cases involving unexplained income and assets remain tied up in legal proceedings.
ISLAMABAD: A government audit has exposed the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) failure to recover more than Rs54.19 billion in income tax arising from alleged concealment of income and assets, highlighting continuing weaknesses in tax enforcement, data integration and the resolution of legal disputes.
The findings are contained in the latest audit report, which examined the implementation of Section 111 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, the provision that empowers tax authorities to tax unexplained income, investments, assets and cash where taxpayers fail to provide a satisfactory explanation regarding their source.
More than 1,180 taxpayers under scrutiny
The audit, covering fiscal years 2022-23 and 2023-24, identified 1,181 taxpayers across 21 field formations of the FBR who reported significant discrepancies between their sales tax returns and income tax declarations or financial statements.
According to the auditors, many taxpayers declared higher sales or purchases in their sales tax returns than those reported in their income tax filings. Others were unable to explain increases in assets relating to tax years 2022 and 2023.
The audit concluded that these discrepancies indicated possible concealment of sales, purchases and assets, resulting in the non-realisation of Rs54.194 billion in income tax.
Recovery remains negligible
The report noted that the irregularities were detected between February and November 2024.
In its response to the audit, the FBR stated that:
• Only Rs0.24 million had been assessed and recovered.
• Rs24.87 million had been assessed but recovery was still pending.
• Legal proceedings involving Rs54.169 billion had been initiated but had yet to be concluded.
The audit observed that virtually the entire disputed amount remains unrecovered, despite the passage of considerable time.
Audit committee seeks compliance
The Departmental Accounts Committee (DAC), during meetings held between July 2024 and January 2025, directed the FBR to expedite recoveries, conclude pending legal proceedings and submit compliance reports to the audit authorities.
However, the auditors noted that no meaningful progress had been reported by the time the audit was finalised.
Stronger data sharing recommended
To strengthen tax enforcement, the audit recommended greater integration between the FBR and other government databases, including those maintained by:
• Land record authorities;
• Provincial revenue authorities;
• Excise and taxation departments; and
• Other relevant public sector agencies.
According to the report, enhanced data sharing would improve the detection of discrepancies between taxpayer declarations and official records, making it more difficult to conceal income or assets.
The auditors also recommended that cases identified through data matching between federal and provincial agencies should be separately disclosed in the FBR’s annual performance report to improve transparency and accountability.
Recurring issue raises concerns
The audit noted that this is not an isolated case. Similar observations were made in audit reports covering 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2023-24, with a combined financial impact of approximately Rs88.92 billion.
The repeated appearance of the same issue over several years, the report said, points to persistent weaknesses in tax administration, enforcement mechanisms and the timely recovery of government revenue, underscoring the need for stronger compliance measures and faster resolution of tax disputes.