KARACHI: Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA) has recommended to restore basic threshold of Rs1,200,000 for salaried persons in the budget 2020/2021.
According to a presentation of Zeeshan Merchant, advocate high court, given on behalf of the PTBA, urged the government to restore the basic threshold of Rs1.2 million that was available for tax year 2019 and the rates applicable for tax year 2019 for salaried persons, individuals and Association of Person (AOPs).
Alternatively, the tax bar urged the authorities to allow a tax reduction of at least 25 percent of the tax payable to individuals and AOPs, who are subject to tax under Part I of First Schedule to the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
The tax bar highlighted that income under the head ‘salary’ is currently taxed on the gross amount. This policy was introduced by bringing down the corresponding rates of tax for each income slab. However, gradually the income slabs as well as rates of tax were enhanced without restoring the deductible allowances when income from salary was taxed at higher rates.
The PTBA proposed that either rationalize the rates of tax or restore the deductible allowances on account of house rent, utilities, conveyance etc. to minimize the tax burden of salaried individuals.
Giving rationale, the PTBA said that it is not justified to tax the salaried individuals (particularly in high income slabs) at such a high rate when other taxpayers are subject to tax on their net profits at much lower rates.
The limit of Rs1,000,000 for loan to employees below benchmark rate provided under Section 13(7) of the ordinance should be increased to Rs3,000,000.
