ISLAMABAD: Rawalpindi Islamabad Tax Bar Association (RITBA) President Syed Tauqeer Bukhari has said that FBR’s decision to issue notices to hundreds of Pakistanis having assets in the UK and Dubai is perplexing and illegal which is resulting in unnecessary harassment among taxpayers.
He expressed these views during an exclusive interview with Customs Today. He said that those who have availed the Tax Amnesty Scheme 2018 and declared their assets cannot be probed by the tax authorities under the law.
He said that the non-serious statements have also resulted in rumours which is not only harassing the taxpayers but also putting negative impact of the government.
Syed Tauqeer Bukhari said that the Presidential Ordinance regarding the Tax Amnesty Scheme 2018 has given all the necessary protection to those who have declared their hidden assets.
The masses have trusted the government to declare their hidden assets in and abroad and all the details have been kept with the State Bank of Pakistan in tight security, he informed. The FBR has not been given access to the data of those who have declared assets, therefore, it cannot take any action against them, he added.
He said that FBR was kept away from data to save the filers from harassment which is a laudable move. The talk of audit and scrutiny will hurt the trust of the business community which is against the national interests.
The president of the tax bar said that FBR should target only those who have not from the recent amnesty scheme. He said that if any taxpayer gets a notice from FBR, he should just show the proof of participating in the recent tax amnesty scheme. Bukhari said that an action under the Income Tax Ordinance can only be initiated against those who have evaded tax despite a change to whiten their assets and money.
