Tag: FBR

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has urged the tax authorities to allow tax credit to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to encourage listed on the stock exchange.

The PSX in its proposals for budget 2022/2023 submitted to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), said SMEs contribute immensely to Pakistan’s employment, export and GDP growth, and provide 80 per cent of all employment in the country.

READ MORE: FBR urged to eliminate minimum tax for listed companies

A well-functioning SME segment at the Stock Exchange offers a range of benefits including greater access to growth capital for innovative SMEs, documentation, good governance, new jobs through entrepreneurship, more investment opportunity for domestic investors and local venture capitalists.

PSX has launched an SME board to attract smaller companies to get listed on the exchange. The aim is to facilitate SMEs with an alternative to bank financing for their expansion growth and projects.

READ MORE: PSX proposes rationalizing tax rates for listed companies

In order to encourage small and medium enterprises to get listed on the SME Board, it is proposed that the rate of tax for such listed SME companies be permanently lowered by giving tax credit of 50 per cent of tax payable for 3 to 4 years of listings and then onwards 20 per cent of the tax payable.

The PSX said that the share of the manufacturing sector in the job market is only 14 per cent. This is very low because 80 per cent of the manufacturing investments in large scale industries provide less than 20 per cent of the manufacturing jobs. Over 80 per cent jobs are provided by SMEs.

READ MORE: PSX suggests grandfather tax provisions for listed companies

There are significant fiscal tax credit benefits in Spain, Kenya, Brazil, Argentina and other parts of the world for SMEs.

The PSX proposed: In clause (iii), Division II, Part I of the First Schedule to the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 after a colon the following proviso shall be added, namely:

READ MORE: PSX proposes launch of saving, investment accounts

“Provided that where a tax payer is a small or medium sized company as defined under the Third Schedule of the Companies Act, 2017 and is also listed on the registered Stock Exchange in Pakistan, the tax credit @ 50% of the tax payable on the taxable income of such company, other than a banking company, shall be allowed for the tax year 2021 and onwards.”

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been urged to eliminate minimum tax regime for listed companies in order to encourage documentation of economy.

The PSX in its proposals for budget 2022/2023, submitted to the FBR stated that through the concept of minimum tax is prevalent in a few other countries, however, in other countries, as a principle, it is levied only in cases where high-income taxpayers don’t pay any tax due to different tax exemptions available to them.

READ MORE: PSX proposes rationalizing tax rates for listed companies

It suggested that minimum tax regime should be eliminated from listed companies as such companies are strongly compliant towards specific documentation requirements of various statues.

The application of minimum tax on listed companies has resulted in discouraging documentation of the economy. Listed companies have significant documentation and regulatory requirements and need to engage external auditors to audit their business affairs.

READ MORE: PSX suggests grandfather tax provisions for listed companies

The stringent regulations keep the listed companies strongly complaint towards filing of income tax / sales tax returns, paying quarterly advance taxes, adjustment of withholding taxes on sales and purchases and consequently filing withholding statements, statements on final taxation and fulfilling various other requirements which resultantly align their books of accounts with the statutory requirements and provide a comfort zone to the authorities and stakeholders over the reported numbers.

READ MORE: PSX proposes launch of saving, investment accounts

However, the levy of minimum tax puts downward impact on the earnings of listed company despite having current and brought forward losses.

Appropriate amendment to be made in the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.

READ MORE: Income tax audit should be once in three years

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has proposed rationalizing tax rates for listed companies through incentives and credits, in order to encourage documentation of economy.

The PSX in its proposals for budget 2022/2023 submitted to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said that it is generally observed that when companies opt for a listing on a stock exchange, their profits grow substantially due to effective corporate governance, better disclosures, and ability to raise capital from the market. Increased number of listed companies and higher profitability leads to higher tax revenue for the government, including incremental revenues from CGT. Hence it is important to encourage companies to get listed on PSX.

READ MORE: PSX suggests grandfather tax provisions for listed companies

However, tax credit on enlistment under section 65C has been omitted by the Finance Act, 2021. This tax incentive was a very small carrot with no significant revenue impact. Had this section not been omitted, only 8 listed companies would have availed this tax credit which we estimate, based on their latest audited financial statements, the tax revenue impact would have been Rs. 342 million per annum.

Further, the CGT collected on these 8 symbols for the 6 months period from July 2021 to December 2021 is Rs. 237 million, and, extrapolating based on this 6 months average collection of CGT, the tax collection for the 12 months period could be Rs. 474 million, compared to the total estimated tax credits of Rs. 342 million that would have been availed by these 8 companies.

READ MORE: PSX proposes launch of saving, investment accounts

The average rate of tax in the Asian region is 19.62%; whereas, currently in Pakistan the corporate tax rate is 29%. As such it is imperative that the corporate tax rate after the tax credit is brought down reasonably to compete with the other regional and global countries.

Therefore, in order to encourage documentation and create a long term positive impact on tax revenue, there should be reduced rates of tax for listed companies compared to unlisted companies.

READ MORE: Income tax audit should be once in three years

To encourage documentation of the economy, the corporate tax rate should be permanently lowered for listed companies, by giving tax credit of 20% of tax payable for those companies that meet the prescribed requirements including a minimum free float of 25% throughout. This will be long term positive for tax revenue.

The table below outlines the five-year summary of listings and de-listings on the Pakistan Stock Exchange:

Particulars	Number of Companies	Capital (Rs.)*
New Listings	24**	57,381 Million
De-listings	38	7, 241 Million
Delisted due to Merger	9	120, 525 Million

*As of December 31, 2021

**It includes listings of preference shares of already listed companies.

Rationale

i) It is generally observed that publically-listed companies are able to improve profitability due to effective corporate governance, better corporate disclosure and availability of additional funds.

ii) The incremental benefits arising from the preferential tax structure for listed companies will foster a business environment that encourages new listings on the stock exchange, resulting in higher trading volumes and lead to:

READ MORE: Cut in duty, taxes on tea import suggested to stop smuggling

a)   Higher tax revenue from listed companies’ income as a result of higher corporate profits.

b)   Higher revenues from tax on brokers activity on new listings.

c)    Higher revenue from Capital Gains Tax on disposal of newly listed securities

iii)            Furthermore, with the government’s increased pace of privatization of its entities, the stock market will attract local and foreign investors and increase the market size. The average rate of tax in the Asian region is 19.62%; whereas, currently in Pakistan the corporate tax rate is 29%. As such it is imperative that the corporate tax rate after above tax credit is brought down reasonably to compete with the other regional and global countries. Following are the average worldwide corporate tax rates:

LOCATION	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Africa	29.0	28.3	27.9	27.9	27.5	28.73	28.81	28.45	28.50	27.97
Asia	22.9	22.1	21.9	22.6	21.9	20.05	20.65	21.32	20.06	19.62
Europe	20.4	20.6	19.7	20.1	20.5	18.35	18.38	20.27	19.99	19.84
Oceania	28.6	27.0	27.0	27.0	26.0	23.67	22.00	23.75	23.75	23.75
North America	33.0	33.0	33.3	33.3	33.3	23.08	23.01	25.85	26.06	26.37
OECD	25.2	25.3	24.1	24.9	24.8	24.18	23.93	23.59	23.51	23.04
Global	24.4	23.7	23.6	23.9	23.6	22.96	23.03	24.18	23.85	23.54

Proposed Amendment

Reinstate section 65C of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 to be read as under:

“Where a taxpayer being a company opts for enlistment in any registered stock exchange in Pakistan, a tax credit equal to twenty percent of the tax payable shall be allowed for the tax year in which the said company is enlisted and for the following years for those companies that meet the prescribed requirements including a minimum free float of 25% throughout and”.

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has suggested the tax authorities to introduce grandfather provisions for tax treatment of listed companies.

In its proposals for budget 2022/2023 submitted to the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the stock exchange recommended grandfather provision for tax treatment of companies, which list on the PSX.

READ MORE: PSX proposes launch of saving, investment accounts

The stock exchange said in view of strong structural reforms in the capital market, companies in Pakistan have immense potential to raise funds from the capital market. This will result in greater documentation of the economy and increased tax revenue. At the same time this will help to grow the capital markets, provide attractive investment opportunities and hence improve the savings and investment rates in Pakistan. Listed companies become part of the documented, regulated and formal corporate sector. Hence, PSX is continuously endeavoring to encourage listings.

READ MORE: Income tax audit should be once in three years

It is proposed that in order to encourage companies to list, their tax status should be grandfathered at the time of listing application i.e. no new cases for past tax returns should be opened, except for such pending cases on which proceedings have already been initiated under the Ordinance, before the date of listing application, will continue as per the provisions of law.

It is well known that a large part of Pakistan’s economy is undocumented and a significant number of companies operate in the informal sector. This will encourage such companies, particularly SMEs, to become documented and start paying taxes, without the fear that past tax returns or lack of them will be questioned. Moving forward they will be documented and paying full tax. Hence, this will be a significant revenue positive measure.

READ MORE: Cut in duty, taxes on tea import suggested to stop smuggling

Part IV of Second Schedule of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 shall include the following clause:

“The provision of section 122, section 176 and section 177 shall not be applicable to those taxpayers being companies which opt for enlistment on the Main or GEM Board of Pakistan Stock Exchange, except such pending cases on which the proceedings have already been initiated under the Ordinance, before the date of listing application, will continue as per the provisions of law.”

READ MORE: KCCI proposes sales tax exemption to solar panels, inverters

KARACHI: Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX) has urged the authorities to introduce saving and investment accounts in the upcoming budget 2022/2023.

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