ISLAMABAD: In a bid to bring more taxpayers to the tax net, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has taken further steps to simplify the procedure of filling income tax returns.
The relevant quarters and economists had been demanding for simplification of the procedure of filing of tax returns for a long time.
“This process has been initiated on the proposals and recommendations moved by the stakeholders,” source at the FBR told Customs Today.
The source explained that as per rule 80 of the income tax rules an individual having CNIC, willing to file his income tax return for the first time, manually was treated as registered automatically on filing of his manual return and didn’t have to undergo the process of registration. However, a person intending to file electronic return is treated as registered on being e-enrolled.
Then there is process of e-enrollment, the source said that at first stage of E-enrollment, a customizable and configurable module that facilitates prospective Individual (national) taxpayers to get themselves registered, from anywhere in the world, at any time , in minimum seven minutes and maximum twenty minutes (depending on type of taxpayer).
Registration modification mechanism is to authorized the taxpayer to modify profile by them alone without any involvement of tax authority. Similarly, other processes for self E-enrolment mechanism, Online (auto) NADRA and SECP verifications as well as two factor authentication to verify cell and email ownership and validity have also been provided to taxpayers for further facilitation.
Moreover, at second stage of e-filing, the source said that taxpayers had been provided with configuration of return forms across tax periods, preserves formats and heads for each tax period.
This form also provides mechanism for online filing by taxpayer, taxpayer representative or Internal FBR Facilitation Center. It also provides mechanism for field officers to file manually received returns.
Moreover, this form also facilitates the taxpayers with provision of a single version of calculation through another IRIS module (business rule engine) as well as it provides mechanism to file revised returns within 60 days after filing without commissioner approval and after 60 days via commissioner approval.
However, the source said that the very Processes Universal Self-Assessment Order (USAS) confirms and accepts the registration of new taxpayer same day and updates taxpayer ledger accordingly.