ISLAMABAD: The complaints resolved by the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) increased by 63.69 percent and were recorded at 12,914 during 2024 compared to 7,889 complaints during 2023, according to FTO Annual Report for the year 2024.
The total number of complaints also increased by 70.52 percent to 13,772 complaints registered during the period under review compared to the 8,076 complaints in 2023.
The FTO settled 6,106 complaints out of 6,480 in 2022 and addressed 2,867 complainants in 2021 as against registered complaints of 3,038.
In FY2024, the FTO recommended, sanctioned, and disbursed refunds amounting to Rs22.793 billion to taxpayers. Additionally, the average time for complaint disposal was reduced to just 34.11 days.
The department received 7872 fresh complaints related to income tax; 2080 on sales tax, 3375 customs duty, 32 federal excise duty and 147 related to FIO.
FTO held around 251 seminars and awareness sessions with concerned Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CCI), different Trade bodies, Tax Bars, and college/universities in 2024 compared to 113 such seminars and sessions in organized in 2023.
It is pertinent to mentioned here that the increase in the number of complaints was seen as a positive indicator of the FTO’s effective awareness campaigns, which targeted key stakeholders, including Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Tax Bar Associations, Business Community Associations, and Tax Law Practitioners.
By disseminating information about the FTO’s mandate and functions, taxpayers were encouraged to seek redress for their grievances. In addition to resolving standard complaints, the FTO placed special emphasis on assisting underprivileged complainants through informal grievance resolution.
Furthermore, the FTO’s interventions led to increased taxpayer registration, enhanced tax collection in the real estate sector, and improvements in the withholding tax regime. Relief measures were also implemented through an automated system for jurisdiction changes and the restoration of blocked mobile SIMs.
In addition to addressing individual grievances, the FTO has consistently identified systemic issues and formulated recommendations to improve the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)’s systems and procedures.
These efforts have provided substantial relief to thousands of taxpayers, reinforcing the FTO’s role as a relief-oriented institution. Officials reiterated their commitment to promote transparency, accountability, and trust in the taxation system.
