Three-year jail for defaulting sales tax payment

Three-year jail for defaulting sales tax payment

A special judge may award imprisonment up to three years to a person who defaulted sales tax payment despite an opportunity from the tax authorities to pay the amount under Section 3, Section 6, Section 7 and Section 48 of the Sales Tax Act, 1990.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) issued the Sales Tax Act, 1990 updated up to June 30, 2021. The Act incorporated amendments brought through Finance Act, 2021.

Following is the text of section 33(5) of the Sales Tax Act, 1990:

33. Offences and penalties.– Whoever commits any offence shall, in addition to and not in derogation of any punishment to which he may be liable under any other law, be liable to the penalty mentioned against that offence: –

5. Any person who fails to deposit the amount of tax due or any part thereof in the time or manner laid down under this Act or rules or orders made there under.

Such person shall pay a penalty of ten thousand rupees or five per cent of the amount of the tax involved, whichever is higher:

Provided that, if the amount of tax or any part thereof is paid within ten days from the due date, the defaulter shall pay a penalty of five hundred rupees for each day of default:

Provided further that no penalty shall be imposed when any miscalculation is made for the first time during a year:

Provided further that if the amount of tax due is not paid even after the expiry of a period of sixty days of issuance of the notice for such payments by an officer of Inland Revenue, not below the rank of Assistant Commissioner Inland Revenue, the defaulter shall, further be liable, upon conviction by a Special Judge, to imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine which may extend to amount equal to the amount of tax involved, or with both.

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