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Tag: FTO

  • FTO takes suo moto notice in concealing income in garb of agriculture tax, Iranian oil sale

    FTO takes suo moto notice in concealing income in garb of agriculture tax, Iranian oil sale

    ISLAMABAD: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has taken suo moto notice and initiated investigation in open sale of Iranian oil in Balochistan and tax evasion in the garb of agriculture tax.

    The annual report 2018 issued by the office of FTO, stated that during the year the FTO proactively invoked powers to take action on own motion notices.

    It said that own motion investigation was initiated in the phenomenon of open sale of Iranian petroleum products in Balochistan at the petrol pumps. Proceedings were in progress, it added.

    Another own motion investigation was started in the phenomenon of tax evasion in the garb of agriculture tax. Since long, a large number of taxpayers have been showing a substantial portion of their income as agriculture income.

    “As tax on agriculture income was a provincial subject, so they were paying income tax to Federal Board of Revenue, on the income declared other than agriculture sources.”

    “While, at the same time they were not paying agriculture tax to the provinces,” the FTO report said, adding that on pointation by the FTO, the FBR had started sending notices to the defaulters.

    The FTO in another own motion investigation of a case of smuggling of mobile phones, mis-declared as LED lights, and cleared through green channel of WeBOC system, was undertaken as a suo-moto case and suitable recommendations were made.

  • Alvi praises FTO role in resolving taxpayers’ complaints

    Alvi praises FTO role in resolving taxpayers’ complaints

    ISLAMABAD: President of Pakistan Dr. Arif Alvi has praised the role of Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) for resolution of aggrieved taxpayers’ complaints.

    The president said this while talking to Federal Tax Ombudsman, Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera, who called on him at Aiwan-i-Sadr on Monday.

    FTO also presented the annual report (2018) to the President.

    The President expressed his satisfaction on the decreasing number of representations against the recommendations of FTO.

    He appreciated the launching of e-based Complaint Management Information System(CMIS), which provides paperless office environment.

    He lauded FTO’s efforts for starting focused SMS and email campaigns to reach out to taxpayers.

    Moreover, he commended FTO for the development of a system for registration of complaints through android based hand-held devices.

    He highlighted that video link of FTO with Regional Offices is a step in right direction to eliminate time and space barriers.

    He stated that integration of FTO’s CMIS with FBR will improve its efficiency.

    He emphasized that there is a need for further steps for creation of awareness about the efficacy of the forum.

    He assured his support to the institution in the discharge of its duties and function.

  • Refund should have no nexus with revenue targets: FTO

    Refund should have no nexus with revenue targets: FTO

    ISLAMABAD: The office of Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has advised Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to set its targets rationally and refunds should have no nexus with revenue targets.

    “To link accountability to performance, compensation for delayed refund be ensured as delay has its own cost,” the FTO office said in its suggestion for budget 2019/2020.

    Refunds data should be placed on website, showing chronological sequence of status and settlement.

    It further said that the collection of Customs duty on challans, in advance, for the sake of targets, should be stopped. It also said that regulatory duties kill economic activity.

    Instead of more focus on the rates of taxes, FBR should pay more emphasis on stimulation of economic activity.

    Recommendations of separate Customs and IR Board given in ISAF Container scandal should be implemented, it said.

    The above mentioned suggestions were sent to Chairman FBR with the note that FTO’s office regards proposals worthwhile to be considered at the time of next budgetary exercise.

    As part of annual consultation to provide well thought-out advice, from a common citizen as well as expert perspective, to the FTO and FBR, meeting of the Rawalpindi/Islamabad based members of Advisory Committee was held in the Conference Room of the FTO office on December 27, 2018.

    The Federal Tax Ombudsman welcomed the participants and briefed them about the purpose of meeting which was to give recommendations for improvement in system and proposals for next budget.

    The conference was attended by Salman Nabi, Former Chairman, National Tariff Commission, Muhammad Sulaiman Khan, Ex-Member Customs and Former Advisor FTO Secretariat, Zaheer-u-Din Dar, Consultant, Zikria A. Zia, Resident Director AGE Cables, Muhammad Siddique, Former Advisor, FTO Secretariat, Najeeb R. Abbasi, Advocate High Court, Shabaz Rana, Economic Correspondent, The Express Tribune, Muhammad Azeem Siddiqi, Bureau Chief, Khyber News, M. Naeem Siddiqi, Chairman ST, IT and FBR Affairs Subcommittee.

    Tariq Ahad Nawaz, Advisor (Research) FTO Office, apprised the audience about the efforts made by the office of the FTO in the area of recommendations sent to FBR for streamlining the systemic issues and performance of the FTO office.

    In the open house discussion, the debate resulted in some very useful recommendations for improvement of the system.