ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on Friday launched new Active Taxpayers List (ATL) for Tax Year 2018, which is showing around 1.6 million taxpayers filed their income tax returns by respective due dates.
The FBR issues ATL for the latest tax year on every first day of March. In the latest ATL the number of active taxpayers reduced to 1.6 million from 1.84 million as per the last weekly updated ATL for Tax Year 2017, showing fall of 240,000 returns submitted to the tax authorities.
The number of active taxpayers will not further increased as late return filers have been deprived of appearing on the ATL.
The previous PML-N government in its last budget announcement made a law to restrict the list with those name, who filed their list by due date.
Through Finance Act, 2018 a new provision Section 182A was added to Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 for this purpose.
Section 182A: Return not filed within due date.—
Sub-Section (1): Notwithstanding anything contained in this Ordinance, where a person fails to file a return of income under section 114 by the due date as specified in section 118 or by the date as extended by the Board under section 214A or extended by the Commissioner under section 119, as the case may be, such person shall—
(a) not be included in the active taxpayers’ list for the year for which return was not filed within the due date; and
“Explanation.—For the removal of doubt it is clarified that the provisions of this section shall apply from tax year 2018 and onwards for which the first Active Taxpayers List is to be issued on first day of March, 2019 under Income Tax Rules, 2002.; and
(b) not be allowed, for that tax year, to carry forward any loss under Part VIII of Chapter IV.
The appearance on ATL is important for a taxpayer to avail reduced rate of withholding tax rates.
The appearance of name has become even more important after the amendments brought in to restrict non-filers in purchase / registering new motor vehicles and immovable properties.
With the issuance of new active taxpayers’ list the FBR will also suspend the weekly updated list as the late filers have been denied to have their names on the list.
