Author: Hamza Shahnawaz

Section 56AB of Sales Tax Act, 1990 has described real-time access to information and databases.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued the Sales Tax Act, 1990 updated up to June 30, 2021. The Act incorporated amendments brought through Finance Act, 2021.

Following is the text of section 56AB of the Sales Tax Act, 1990:

56AB. Real-time access to information and databases.—(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, including but not limited to the National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance, 2000 (Ordinance VIII of 2000), and the Emigration Ordinance, 1979 (Ordinance XVIII of 1979), arrangements shall be made to provide real-time access of information and database to the Board in the prescribed form and manner by–

(a) the National Database and Registration Authority with respect to information pertaining to National Identity Card (NIC), Pakistan Origin Card, Overseas Identity Card, Alien Registration Card, and other particulars contained in the Citizen Database;

(b) the Federal Investigation Agency and the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment with respect to details of international travel;

(c) the Islamabad Capital Territory and Provincial and local land record and development authorities with respect to record-of-rights including digitized edition of record-of-rights, periodic record, record of mutations and report of acquisition of rights;

(d) the Islamabad Capital Territory and Provincial Excise and Taxation Departments with respect to information regarding registration of vehicles, transfer of ownership and other associated record;

(e) all electricity suppliers and gas transmission and distribution companies with respect to particulars of a consumer, the units consumed and the amount of bill charged or paid:

Provided that where the connection is shared or is used by a person other than the owner, the name and NIC of the owner and the user shall also be furnished:

Provided further that all electricity suppliers and gas transmission and distribution companies shall make arrangements by the 1st day of January, 2021 for allowing consumers to update the ratio of sharing of a connection or the particulars of users, as the case may be; and

(f) any other agency, authority, institution or organization, notified by the Board.

(2) The Board shall make arrangements for laying the infrastructure for real-time access to information and database under sub-section (1) and aligning it with its own database in the manner as may be prescribed.

(3) Until real-time access to information and database is made available under sub-section (1), such information and data shall be provided periodically in such form and manner as may be prescribed.

(4) Subject to section 56B, all information received under this section shall be used only for tax purposes and kept confidential.

(Disclaimer: The text of above section is only for information. Team PkRevenue.com makes all efforts to provide the correct version of the text. However, the team PkRevenue.com is not responsible for any error or omission.)

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