Tax offices to observe extended working hours on Dec 30-31 for collection

Tax offices to observe extended working hours on Dec 30-31 for collection

Islamabad: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced that tax offices will remain open on December 30-31, 2022, to accommodate the year-end rush for the collection of duties and taxes.

The move aims to facilitate taxpayers who may need to complete their financial transactions before the close of the calendar year.

In a circular issued by the FBR, it was stated that all Large Taxpayer Offices (LTOs), Medium Tax Office (MTO), Corporate Tax Offices (CTOs), and Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) would extend their working hours until 8:00 PM on Friday, December 30, 2022, and until 10:00 PM on Saturday, December 31, 2022.

The decision to keep tax offices open during the extended hours reflects the FBR’s commitment to providing convenience to taxpayers during the year-end period. Taxpayers often seek to complete their financial obligations before the start of the new calendar year, and the extended working hours aim to facilitate this process.

The FBR has directed the Chief Commissioners of Inland Revenue (IR) to establish liaison with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and authorized branches of the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP). This is to ensure the swift transfer of tax collected by these branches to the respective branches of the State Bank of Pakistan on the same date. The timely transfer is crucial for accurately accounting for the collections towards the month of December 2022.

Chief Commissioners of Inland Revenue have been instructed to guide only those officers and officials who are directly involved in taxpayers’ facilitation, return filing, and the collection and recovery of taxes to observe the extended working hours. This targeted approach ensures that essential services related to taxpayer assistance and tax-related activities are prioritized during the extended hours.

As the calendar year comes to a close, the FBR’s initiative to keep tax offices open during the extended hours is expected to streamline the process for taxpayers. It provides them with additional time to fulfill their tax obligations and address any queries or concerns they may have before the year concludes.

The FBR’s ongoing efforts to enhance taxpayer facilitation and streamline tax collection processes are aligned with its broader objectives of improving efficiency, transparency, and ease of doing business. The extended working hours during the year-end period reflect the FBR’s responsiveness to the needs of taxpayers and its commitment to creating a more taxpayer-friendly environment.