ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been empowered to real-time access to third-party information and database for identifying new taxpayers and preventing tax evasion.
Through Finance Bill, 2020 new provisions introduced to Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 and Sales Tax Act, 1990 to empower the FBR for third-party real-time access.
Real-time access to information and databases
(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in any law for the time being in force, including but not limited to the National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance, 2000 (Ordinance VIII of 2000), and the Emigration Ordinance, 1979(Ordinance XVIII of 1979), arrangements shall be made to provide real-time access of information and database to the Board in the prescribed form and manner by–
(a) the National Database and Registration Authority with respect to information pertaining to National Identity Card, Pakistan Origin Card, Overseas Identity Card, Alien Registration Card, and other particulars contained in the Citizen Database;
(b) the Federal Investigation Agency and the Bureau of Emigration and Overseas Employment with respect to details of international entry and exit of all persons and information pertaining to work permits, employment visas and immigration visas;
(c) the Islamabad Capital Territory and provincial and local land record and development authorities with respect to record-of-rights including digitized edition of record-of-rights, periodic record, record of mutations and report of acquisition of rights;
(d) the Islamabad Capital Territory and provincial Excise and Taxation Departments with respect to information regarding registration of vehicles, transfer of ownership and other associated record;
(e) All electricity suppliers and gas transmission and distribution companies with respect to particulars of a consumer, the units consumed and the amount of bill charged or paid:
Provided that where the connection is shared or is used by a person other than the owner, the name and CNIC of the owner and the user shall also be furnished:
Provided further that all electricity suppliers and gas transmission and distribution companies shall make arrangements by the 1st day of January, 2021for allowing consumers to update the ratio of sharing of a connection or the particulars of users, as the case may be; and
(f) any other agency, authority, institution or organization notified by the Board.
2) The Board shall make arrangements for laying the infrastructure for real-time access to information and database under sub-section (1) and aligning it with its own database in the manner as may be prescribed.
(3) Until real-time access to information and database is made available under sub-section (1), such information and data shall be provided periodically in such form and manner as may be prescribed.
