FBR should shun multiple tax audits

FBR should shun multiple tax audits

KARACHI: Business community has advised Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to shun conducting multiple audits of a taxpayer in a year in order to ensure ease of doing business.

In its proposals for budget 2020/2021 submitted to the FBR, the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) said that registered Tax payers receive notices of multiple audits in a year such as Income Tax audit under Section 177 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, Withholding Tax audit under Section 161 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001; Sales Tax audit under Section 25 of the Sales Tax Act 1990.

Moreover, the taxpayers also receive multiple notices of amendments in assessments under Section 122 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 and under Section 111 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 to explain sources.

The multiplicity of audit of a single taxpayer in a single year is against the concept of ease of doing business and creating unnecessary problems for tax payers.

The FPCCI recommended that multiplicity of audits in a single year be done away with and replaced with the concept of composite audit of registered taxpayers.

Further, it is suggested that new audit parameters should be enforced after consultation with all stakeholders.