KARACHI: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been urged to exempt listed companies from electronic surveillance of business and records.
Overseas Investors Chamber of Commerce and Industry (OICCI) in its proposals for budget 2021/2022 said that through SRO 888 of 2020 dated September 21, 2020, a new chapter was introduced in Sales Tax Rules, 2006 whereby all registered persons are made liable to give continuous and full real-time electronic access to the premises, stocks, record, accounts and data, whether maintained electronically or otherwise, as and when required by an authorized officer as provided under section 38 of the Act.
The OICCI recommended that the scope should be restricted to the taxpayers having series of defaults or misconduct.
“Other taxpayers especially listed companies should be exempted from this requirement as they are subject to rigorous external audits, internal audit requirements by SECP and tax audits and monitoring by FBR,” it recommended.
