KARACHI: Tax officials have been authorized to recover short payment of sales tax through freezing bank accounts of taxpayers without serving show cause notice.
Officials in Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said that the officers of Inland Revenue had been authorized to make recovery of short payment of sales tax as declared in return of a taxpayer by taking measures including freezing bank account without issuing a show cause notice.
The officials said that under Section 11A of Sales Tax Act, 1990, the powers of Inland Revenue officers had been explained.
Section 11A: Short paid amounts recoverable without notice
Notwithstanding any of the provisions of this Act, where a registered person pays the amount of tax less than the tax due as indicated in his return, the short paid amount of tax along with default surcharge shall be recovered from such person by stopping removal of any goods from his business premises and through attachment of his business bank accounts, without giving him a show cause notice and without prejudice to any other action prescribed under section 48 of this Act or the rules made thereunder:
Provided that no penalty under section 33 of this Act shall be imposed unless a show cause notice is given to such person.
