MULTAN: Federal Board of Revenue will adopt effective method of tax refund to overcome the hurdles of taxpayers, said Chairman Tariq Bajwa here on Monday.
While addressing the Multan Tax Bar Association, Chairman FBR Tariq Bajwa said that taxpayer is our client and there is close link between bar and bench for the tax affairs.
He said that tax bar has played a vital role in the collection of taxes and spreading awareness in the public to pay taxes and now tax bar should further contribute their role for the collection of taxes.
He said, “The tax bar guides taxpayer for the payment of taxes and taxpayer is their client so FBR needs your cooperation in tax collection”.
He said that Federal Board of Revenue has created a clear distinction between tax filer and non tax filer. Taxpayers are serving the nation and the country by paying taxes and it is also in the interest of taxpayers to pay taxes.
It is the responsibility of an individual to pay taxes and take benefits of those taxes because these taxes will be utilized on them, said Bajwa.
Pakistan is one of the few countries of the world where ratio of filing tax returns is very low and it is in the benefit of taxpayers to pay taxes, he added.
He said that India, Sri Lanka, Maldives paid taxes ratio is better than Pakistan and we have to promote tax culture in order to broaden our tax net.
He claimed that only 8500 taxpayers filed their tax returns in a population of 185 million in this country and the tax-to-GDP ratio becomes only 9 percent.
Government needs resources to run the matters of state and we can’t utilize resources without your taxes, he added.
The Chairman said that that Federal Board of Revenue has taken some measures for the non-taxpayers to convert them into active taxpayers.
He said that we will pay refunds to taxpayers within 90 days period to overcome their problems as Finance Minister Ishaq Dar announced on the floor of the National Assembly to refund the taxes of textile industry of worth Rs 15 billion till December.
Federal Board of Revenue will try to overcome the flaws in Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (Pral) to defeat the problems of taxpayers, he said.
He said that there were various complaints received against National Tax Number (NTN) that if someone was working with a company and after some years he joined another company he has to register himself in Federal Board of Revenue again. Such problems of registration will be ended soon.
He said that Federal Board of Revenue has made the tax collection system transparent and accountable.
Talking exclusively with Customs Today, Chairman FBR Tariq Bajwa said that the Board is trying to bring in potential taxpayers into the net to increase the revenue of the country.
At the end, he appreciated members of Multan Tax Bar Association for cooperation with the department.
