ISLAMABAD: Due to hard efforts and effective tax measures of Federal Board of Revenue, the total number of taxpayers has doubled in last ten years (2008 to 2018), but unfortunately, the number of real taxpayers is very disappointing.
According to a report submitted by FBR in the parliament, there are only 1.074 million people who pay taxes out of 220 million Pakistanis, which is less than 1 percent of total population. The total number of filers is 1.6088 million who submit their tax returns and more than half number of them belong to salaried class.
The report further stated that in tax year 2008, as many as 7,68,173 persons submitted their returns, while only 4,77,896 persons paid the taxes, while 2,90,227 persons filed zero tax. Likewise in 2009, as many as 8,55,389 filers filed tax returns and only 5,26,867 individuals paid taxes, while 3,28,522 filed no tax. In 2010, a numbers of tax payers slightly decreased as the FBR received 8,26,559 tax returns but only 542,406 were the real taxpayers, while 2,84,153 paid nothing.
In 2011, the 829129 people filed returns, while 4,06,316 paid taxes and 4,22,813 paid zero tax. In 2012, FBR received 8,35,945 tax returns while 4,03,9 27 paid their taxes and 4,32018 people paid nothing. In 2013, number of taxpayers increased and FBR received 9,36504 returns and only 5,27,177 paid their taxes and 4,09,327 people paid no tax.
In 2014, total 11,18, 138 people filed returns and 6,62,743 paid taxes and 4,55,395 filed zero tax returns; in 2015, total 12,94,623 tax returns were filed while 8,38,667 paid taxes and 4,55,956 filed zero tax returns. In 2016, total 14,72,762 filers filed tax returns, 9,61,757 paid their due share in taxes while 5,11,005 paid zero tax. In last financial year 2017-18, numbers of filers reached 16,08,882, while only 10,74, 792 paid taxes and 5,34,090 people filed nothing.
