ISLAMABAD: The government has announced a comprehensive package of tax incentive and exemptions to attract foreign investment into debt securities.
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued salient features on Wednesday to explain amendments to Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 brought through Tax Laws (Second Amendment) Ordinance, 2019.
The FBR said that the existing foreign exchange framework of the country allows non-residents to invest in debt securities and Government securities through Special Convertible Rupee Accounts (SCRA’s) maintained with banks in Pakistan.
There is no restriction on repatriation of funds from SCRA’s which incentivizes investment in the local debt market by non-resident investors.
Several amendments for encouraging investment in the local debt market and simplifying the tax regime for non-resident companies have been introduced which are summarized hereunder:-
(i) Capital gains emanating from the disposal of debt instruments and government securities (including treasury bills and Pakistan Investment Bonds) to non-resident companies (not having a permanent establishment in Pakistan)who have made investments in such debt instruments/securities exclusively through a Special Convertible Rupee Account (SCRA) maintained with a bank in Pakistan shall be subject to withholding tax @ 10 percent by banks/financial institutions which shall constitute final discharge of tax liability.
(ii) Enhanced rate of withholding tax for persons not appearing on the active taxpayers list under the Tenth Schedule to the Ordinance shall not apply to capital gains and profit on debt earned by non-resident companies, not having a permanent establishment in Pakistan, which invest in local debt instruments/securities through SCRA maintained with a bank in Pakistan.
(iii) Special Convertible Rupee Accounts (SCRA) being maintained by non-resident companies having no permanent establishment in Pakistan shall be exempt from collection of advance tax on banking transactions otherwise than through cash under section 236P of the Ordinance.
(iv) A non-resident company having no permanent establishment in Pakistan investing debt instruments and government securities through SCRA shall not be required to pay advance tax under section 147 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 in respect of capital gains arising to it.
(v) Requirement for filing a statement of final taxation under section 115(4) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 and registration under section 181 of the Ordinance shall not apply to a non-resident company having no permanent establishment in Pakistan solely by reason of Capital Gain or Profit on Debt earned from investments indebt securities and Government securities through Special Convertible Rupee Account maintained with a banking company or financial institution in Pakistan.
