KARACHI: The Sindh High Court directed the Commissioner Inland Revenue Appeals-I to decide the appeal of a petitioner within a month on a constitutional petition filed by IGI Insurance Ltd against the impugned show cause notice for recovery of Rs106 for the tax year 2016 issued by Additional Commissioner Inland Revenue Audit Range-B, Zone-III Large Taxpayer Unit.
A two-member bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, was hearing the petition.
During the hearing, counsel for the petitioner completed his arguments. After his arguments, the court disposed of the constitutional petition with the directions to the respondents not to enforce recovery of impugned demand which is a subject matter of appeal before the commissioner appeals-I till its final disposal. In case of any adverse order if passed by the commissioner appeals, the respondent shall not enforce recovery of impugned demand for further period of seven days from the date of receipt of such appellate order.
The court also mentioned in its order that “it is expected that the appeals of the petitioner, if not disposed of so far by the commissioner IR appeals-I, shall be decided within a period of four weeks from the date of receipt of this order which may be communicated to it for the petitioner within a week”.
Earlier, counsel for the petitioner stated that petitioner is the largest insurance company by market capitalization. It offers a wide range of general insurance products including fire, motors, marine, travel, health, personal accident and home insurance. He informed the court that said respondent issued a show cause notice to the petitioner for recovery of Rs106million for tax year 2016. Being aggrieved, it filed an appeal before the CIR Appeals-I which is still pending.
Citing Chairman Federal Board of Revenue, Commissioner Inland Revenue Appeals-I, Large Taxpayer Unit, Commissioner Inland Revenue Zone-III, Audit Range-B, Zone-III Large Taxpayer as respondents, the petitioner pleaded with the court to restrain them from taking any coercive action against it and court may direct the CIR Appeals to decide its appeal within the reasonable period.
