KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been advised to reduce income tax rates for banking companies in line with general corporate tax rates.
The Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) in its tax proposals for budget 2019/2020, said that the banking sector tax rates have not been reduced in line with the general corporate tax rates.
Furthermore, Finance Supplementary (Second Amendment) Bill 2019, proposed to again amend the First Schedule to the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, whereby, Super Tax of 4 percent is applicable on banks from tax year 2018 to tax year 2021.
The banks, in compliance with the prevailing taxation regime have already closed the tax year 2018 (accounting year 2017) and income tax returns have already been duly filed/assessed.
As a result of the proposed abovementioned retrospective application from tax year 2018 (accounting year 2017), banks would now have to effectively pay super tax for two years or 8 percent instead of 4 percent in tax year 2019 i.e. 4 percent already paid in advance for tax year 2019 along with retrospective charge of 4 percent now being proposed for tax year 2018.
The OICCI suggested that the tax rates of the banking sector should be aligned with other sectors.
It is recommended, application of super tax on tax year 2018 should be removed to avoid the double charge of super tax in tax year 2019.
Furthermore, it is requested that the same overall relief on super tax, granted to other industries, is also provided to the banking sector as well.
