KARACHI: The sales tax law has defined the procedure for liability for payment of tax in case of private company is in state of liquidation.
The updated Sales Tax Act, 1990 issued by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the Section 58 explained the payment method from the company is wound up.
Section 58: Liability for payment of tax in the case of private companies or business enterprises
Notwithstanding anything contained in the Companies Act, 2017 (XIX of 2017), where any private company or business enterprise is wound up and any tax chargeable on the company or business enterprise, whether before, or in the course, or after its liquidation, in respect of any tax period cannot be recovered from the company or business enterprise, every person who was a owner of, or partner in, or director of, the company or business enterprise during the relevant period shall, jointly and severally with such persons, be liable for the payment of such tax.
Section 58A: Representatives
Sub-Section (1): For the purpose of this Act and subject to sub-sections (2) and (3), the expression “representative” in respect of a registered person, means:
(a) where the person is an individual under a legal disability, the guardian or manager who receives or is entitled to receive income on behalf, or for the benefit of the individual;
(b) where the person is a company (other than a trust, a Provincial Government, or local authority in Pakistan), a director or a manager or secretary or agent or accountant or any similar officer of the company;
(c) where the person is a trust declared by a duly executed instrument in writing whether testamentary or otherwise, any trustee of the trust;
(d) where the person is a Provincial Government, or local authority in Pakistan, any individual responsible for accounting for the receipt and payment of money or funds on behalf of the Provincial Government or local authority;
(e) where the person is an association of persons, a director or a manager or secretary or agent or accountant or any similar officer of the association or, in the case of a firm, any partner in the firm;
(f) where the person is the Federal Government, any individual responsible for accounting for the receipt and payment of moneys or funds on behalf of the Federal Government; or
(g) where the person is a public international organization, or a foreign government or political sub-division of a foreign government, any individual responsible for accounting for the receipt and payment of moneys or funds in Pakistan on behalf of the organization, government, or political subdivision of the government.
Sub-Section (2): Where the Court of Wards, the Administrator General, the Official Trustee, or any receiver or manager appointed by, or under, any order of a Court receives or is entitled to receive income on behalf, or for the benefit of any person, such Court of Wards, Administrator General, Official Trustee, receiver, or manager shall be the representative of the person for the purposes of this Act.
Sub-Section (3): Subject to sub-section (4), where a person is a non-resident person, the representative of the persons for the purpose of this Act for a tax year shall be any person in Pakistan:
(a) who is employed by, or on behalf of, the non-resident person;
(b) who has any business connection with the non-resident person;
(c) from or through whom the non-resident person is in receipt of any income, whether directly or indirectly;
(d) who holds, or controls the receipt or disposal of any money belonging to the non-resident person;
(e) who is the trustee of the non-resident person; or
(f) who is declared by the 1[Commissioner] by an order in writing to be the representative of the non-resident person.
Sub-Section (4): No person shall be declared as the representative of a non-resident person unless the person has been given an opportunity by the 1[Commissioner] of being heard.
Section 58B: Liability and obligations of representatives
Sub-Section (1): Every representative of a person shall be responsible for performing any duties or obligations imposed by or under this Act on the person, including the payment of tax.
Sub-Section (2): Subject to section 58 and sub-section (5) of this section, any tax that, by virtue of sub-section (1), is payable by a representative of a registered person shall be recoverable from the representative only to the extent of any assets of the registered person that are in the possession or under the control of the representative.
Sub-Section (3): Every representative of a registered person who pays any tax owing by the registered person shall be entitled to recover the amount so paid from the registered person or to retain the amount so paid out of any moneys of the registered person that are in the representative’s possession or under the representative’s control.
Sub-Section (4): Any representative, or any person who apprehends that he may be assessed as a representative, may retain out of any money payable by him to the person on whose behalf he is liable to pay tax (hereinafter in this section referred to as the “principal”), a sum equal to his estimated liability under this Act, and in the event of disagreement between the principal and such a representative or a person as to the amount to be so retained, such representative or person may obtain from the 1[Commissioner] a certificate stating the amount to be so retained pending final determination of the tax liability, and the certificate so obtained shall be his authority for retaining that amount.
Sub-Section (5): Every representative shall be personally liable for the payment of any tax due by the representative in a representative capacity if, while the amount remains unpaid, the representative:
(a) alienates, charges or disposes of any moneys received or accrued in respect of which the tax is payable; or
(b) disposes of or parts with any moneys or funds belonging to the person that is in the possession of the representative or which comes to the representative after the tax is payable, if such tax could legally have been paid from or out of such moneys or funds.
Sub-Section (6): Nothing in this section shall relieve any person from performing any duties imposed by or under this Act on the person which the representative of the person has failed to perform.
