FBR withdraws order to examine taxpayers’ information

FBR withdraws order to examine taxpayers’ information

ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has withdrawn the order to examine persons’ information for identifying potential taxpayers and tax evasion.

The FBR on Wednesday issued an order to withdraw the establishment of Tax Information Processing Unit (TIPU) in Inland Revenue (IR) – Operation Wing, FBR.

The FBR constituted TIPU for utilization of information available at multiple databases of the tax authorities on May 29, 2020.

The TIPU was aimed at enhancing revenues, through efficient utilization power of IT for overall system improvement.

“There is an emerging need for transforming existing raw data, available in multiple databases of the FBR, into meaningful insights, through which actionable steps may be suggested to field formation with regard to untapped revenue potential and potential leakages,” the previous order said.

To realize the true potential of IT system, developed over years, it is imperative to engage a cross-functional team of professionals, available in FBR, who may perform following tasks, before generating meaningful insights from the datasets available in its IT systems: data mining; statistical analysis; data analytics; and MIS Reporting.

The insights gained through data analysis may potentially generate actionable data which IR Operations Wing may convey to field offices, so that untapped revenue potential may be realized and potential leakages may be checked.

The FBR said that in view of foregoing a cross functional TIPU had been established in IR Operations Wing, FBR manned by FBR’s regular workforce and temporary hiring of IT-experts, on need basis.

The following officers are designated as domain team of the defunct TIPU, under the supervision of Member IR Operatoins:

a. Tariq Hussain Shaikh, Chief (IR&I)-Coordinator

b. Ms. Rezwana Siddiqui, Chief (IR-Analysis)

c. Zulfiqar Ali Gopang (S.S. IT)

d. Naveed Afgan (Dy. Dir/Secy MIS)

e. Syed Asif Jamil (AD/S.S

f. Imran Ullah (AD-Audit)

The FBR said that the TIPU was to be operated IT experts, who would be hired on market-based salaries. The IT experts would design and develop IT modules, for data analytics.