LAHORE: Punjab moved to check vehicular pollution, withdrawing proposed tax relief on old vehicles (major polluters) and slashing 75pc tax on electric vehicles to promote cleaner environment.
However, it brought tractors’ trade under the tax net by replacing the word ‘motor car’ with ‘motor vehicle’ in its finance bill and triggered fears that this essential machine for agriculture will become more expensive and hurt farmers and farming. The decision brings other vehicular dealers in tax net as well.
The bill also moved to rope in all those professional (doctors, lawyers, services), who are assessed for the income tax, under the provincial professional tax, albeit for a paltry sum of Rs200 per year.
The government repealed the Punjab Entertainment Duty Act, 1958 (X of 1958), bringing the entertainment services (cinemas, theatres, concerts, circus, sports events, races, film, fashion shows and mobile stage shows) under the purview of the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) with introductory zero percent without input tax adjustment. In view of the proposal to assign the subject matter of entertainment duty to the Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA), the Punjab Entertainment Duty Act, 1958 is to be repealed while amending the Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act 2012 for this purpose.
