The Sales Tax Act, 1990 has prescribed penalty and imprisonment for manufacturing, possessing, transporting, distributing, storing or selling cigarettes with counterfeited tax stamps.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued the Sales Tax Act, 1990 updated up to June 30, 2021. The Act incorporated amendments brought through Finance Act, 2021.
Following is the text of section 33(23) of the Sales Tax Act, 1990:
33. Offences and penalties.– Whoever commits any offence shall, in addition to and not in derogation of any punishment to which he may be liable under any other law, be liable to the penalty mentioned against that offence: –
23. Any person who manufactures, possesses, transports, distributes, stores or sells cigarette packs with counterfeited tax stamps, banderoles, stickers, labels or barcodes or without tax stamps, banderoles, stickers, labels or barcodes
(i) Such cigarette stock shall be liable to outright confiscation and destruction. Any person committing the offence shall pay a penalty of twenty-five thousand rupees or one hundred per cent of the amount of tax involved, whichever is higher. He shall, further be liable, upon conviction by a Special Judge, to simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with additional fine which may extend to an amount equal to the loss of tax involved, or with both.
(ii) In case of transport of cigarettes with counterfeited tax stamps, banderoles, stickers, labels or barcodes, or without tax stamps, banderoles, stickers, labels or barcodes, permanent seizure of the vehicle used for transportation of non-conforming or counterfeit cigarette packs; and
(iii) In case of repeat sale of cigarettes without or with counterfeited, tax stamps, banderoles, stickers, labels or barcodes, the premises used for such sale be sealed for a period not exceeding fifteen days.
READ MORE: Imprisonment for unauthorized access to tax system
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