KARACHI: The Sindh government collected Rs225 million in professional tax during the eight months (July-February) with a six per cent growth.
The number of commercial units paying professional tax in Karachi increased by 2,944, or 0.8pc, to 373,529 as compared to a year earlier. The excise and taxation department collected Rs5.5m in arrears from private limited companies, who pay a minimum tax of Rs100,000 a year.
The number of commercial units liable to pay professional tax in Karachi’s district east is 25,000. However, the department is suffering revenue loss as major markets and malls in Gulistan-i-Jauhar and Shah Faisal Colony do not pay tax to the Sindh government as they fall in cantonment board.
The tax collection from these areas could be Rs150m against Rs120m now if the tax is recovered from all these markets. The number of businesses and commercial units paying professional tax in the district west is 24,000. Of them, 1,900 are industries and 5,000 commercial units, mostly godowns.
