FBR urged to issue FTNs against withholding tax deduction

FBR urged to issue FTNs against withholding tax deduction

KARACHI: Tax practitioners have urged the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to issue Fee Tax Numbers (FTNs) to persons who are not liable for withholding tax.

In its proposals for budget 2021/2022, the Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA) said that Section 49(3) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 has specified that any payment received by the Federal Government, a Provincial Government or a Local Government shall not be liable to any collection or deduction of advance tax.

No clarification or list of FTN entities to whom this subsection applies, the tax bar said.

In absence of any SRO or underlying Rules causes unease to the withholding agents to determine proper withholding tax treatment in such case.

FBR should issue a separate list of Fee Tax Numbers (FTNs), who are not liable to tax withholding as provided under section 49(3) of the Ordinance through a S.R.O.

The KTBA said that this will assist the withholding agents and save considerable time in deciding whether a respective FTN holder is required to produce exemption certificate or not.