Sales Tax Act 1990: buyer, seller jointly responsible for unpaid tax

Sales Tax Act 1990: buyer, seller jointly responsible for unpaid tax

KARACHI: Where an amount of tax unpaid in supply chain then registered buyer and seller are both responsible for paying to national exchequer.

According to updated Sales Tax Act, 1990 issued by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Section 8A explained joint and several liability regarding unpaid tax.

Section 8A: Joint and several liability of registered persons in supply chain where tax unpaid.

Where a registered person receiving a taxable supply from another registered person is in the knowledge or has reasonable grounds to suspect that some or all of the tax payable in respect of that supply or any previous or subsequent supply of the goods supplied would go unpaid, of which the burden to prove shall be on the department such person as well as the person making the taxable supply shall be jointly and severally liable for payment of such unpaid amount of tax:

Provided that the Board may by notification in the official gazette, exempt any transaction or transactions from the provisions of this section.

Section 8B: Adjustable input tax.

Sub-Section (1): Notwithstanding anything contained in this Act, in relation to a tax period, a registered person shall not be allowed to adjust input tax in excess of ninety per cent of the output tax for that tax period:

Provided that the restriction on the adjustment of input tax in excess of ninety percent of the output tax, shall not apply in case of fixed assets or Capital goods:

Provided further that the Board may by notification in the official Gazette, exclude any person or class of persons from the purview of sub-section (1).

Sub-Section (2): A registered person, subject to sub-section (1), may be allowed adjustment or refund] of input tax not allowed under sub-section (1) subject to the following conditions, namely:

(i) in the case of registered persons, whose accounts are subject to audit under the Companies Ordinance, 1984, upon furnishing a statement along with annual audited accounts, duly certified by the auditors, showing value additions less than the limit prescribed under sub-section (1) above; or

(ii) in case of other registered persons, subject to the conditions and restrictions as may be specified by the Board by notification in the official Gazette.

Sub-Section (3): The adjustment or refund of input tax mentioned in sub-sections (2), if any, shall be made on yearly basis in the second month following the end of the financial year of the registered person.

Sub-Section (4): Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-sections (1) and (2), the Board may, by notification in the official Gazette, prescribe any other limit of input tax adjustment for any person or class of persons.

Sub-Section (5): Any auditor found guilty of misconduct in furnishing the certificate mentioned in sub-section (2) shall be referred to the Council for disciplinary action under section 20D of Chartered Accountants, Ordinance, 1961 (X of 1961).