Tax officials barred from direct freezing bank accounts

Tax officials barred from direct freezing bank accounts

KARACHI: The Sindh government has barred the officials of provincial tax authorities from freezing bank accounts for making tax recovery without approval.

The Sindh government issued a standing order dated February 10, 2022 regarding recovery of tax due through bank attachment under section 66 of the Sindh Sales Tax on Services Act, 2011.

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The standing order stated that to regulate the recovery of tax due in terms of proviso to Section 66(1) of the Act read with the Sindh High Court dated January 31, 2020, in CP No. D-1882 of 2017 and others, various instructions were issued vide standing order No. 01/2020 vide No. SRB/TP/13/2020 dated July 30, 2020.

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In order to further regulate the recovery through bank attachment of any registered person under Section 66(1), it is decided that the attachment of any bank account of the registered person in future be made with prior approval of the respective Senior Member/Member (Operations), who will grant approval of the respective relevant facts (verified and recommended after due diligence) by the commissioner and submitted through dedicated recovery note sheet, for justification thereof.

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“Any departure from or non-compliance with the directions in the standing order shall be viewed seriously,” the provincial government warned the officials of Sindh Revenue Board (SRB).

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