KARACHI: The sales tax laws have authorized suo moto powers to Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and Commissioner of Inland Revenue (IR) to call for records from department and taxpayers.
The Section 45 of updated Sales Tax Act, 1990 explained the suo moto powers of FBR and IR commissioner to call for records in any case.
Section 45A: Power of the Board and Commissioner to call for records:
Sub-Section (1): The Board may, of its own motion, or otherwise call for and examine the record of any departmental proceedings under this Act or the rules made there under for the purpose of satisfying itself as to the legality or propriety of any decision or order passed therein by an Officer of Inland Revenue, it may pass such order as it may think fit:
Provided that no order imposing or enhancing any penalty or fine requiring payment of a greater amount of Sales Tax than the originally levied shall be passed unless the person affected by such order has been given an opportunity of showing cause and of being heard.
Sub-Section (2): No proceeding under 9[this section] shall be initiated in a case where an appeal under Section 45B or Section 46 is pending.
Sub-Section (3): No order shall be made under this Section after the expiry of five years from the date of original decision or order of the sub-ordinate officer referred to in sub-section (1).
Sub-Section (4): The Commissioner may, suo moto, call for and examine the record of any proceeding under this Act or the rules made thereunder for the purpose of satisfying himself as to the legality or propriety of any decision or order passed by an officer of Inland Revenue subordinate to him, and pass such order as he may deem fit.
Section 45B: Appeals
Sub-Section (1): Any person, other than the Sales Tax Department, aggrieved by any decision or order passed under sections 10, 11, 25, 36, or 66, by an officer of Inland Revenue may, within thirty days of the date of receipt of such decision or order, prefer appeal to the Commissioner Inland Revenue (Appeals):
Provided that an appeal preferred after the expiry of thirty days may be admitted by the Commissioner Inland Revenue (Appeals) if he is satisfied that the appellant has sufficient cause for not preferring the appeal within the specified period:
Provided further that the appeal shall be accompanied by a fee of one thousand rupees to be paid in such manner as the Board may prescribe.
Sub-Section (1A): Where in a particular case, the Commissioner (Appeals) is of the opinion recovery of tax levied under this act, shall cause undue hardship to the taxpayer, he, after affording opportunity of being heard to the commissioner or officer of Inland revenue against whose orders appeal has been made, may stay the recovery of such tax for a period not exceeding thirty days in aggregate.
Sub-Section (2): The Commissioner Inland Revenue (Appeals) may, after giving both parties to the appeal an opportunity of being heard, pass such order as he thinks fit, confirming, varying, altering, setting aside or annulling the decision or order appealed against:
Provided that such order shall be passed not later than one hundred and twenty days from the date of filing of appeal or within such extended period as the Commissioner (Appeals) may, for reasons to be recorded in writing fix:
Provided further that such extended period shall, in no case, exceed sixty days:
Provided further that any period during which the proceedings are adjourned on account of a stay order or Alternative Dispute Resolution proceedings or the time taken through adjournment by the petitioner not exceeding thirty days shall be excluded from the computation of aforesaid periods.
Sub-Section (3): In deciding an appeal, the Commissioner of Inland Revenue (Appeals) may make such further inquiry as may be necessary provided that he shall not remand the case for de novo consideration.
