ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has sent notices to cricketer Sohail Tanvir for hiding his foreign income.
The famous cricket player has reportedly earned huge amounts in foreign currency for playing Pakistan Super Leagues (PSL) and other international tournaments in different parts of the world.
However, Sohail Tanvir had claimed refunds after declaring income through his returns which he earned only from Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after signing contracts. Sohail claimed reduced rate against a FBR’s demand. The Board had also attached the cricketer’s bank account and recovered the amount to the tune of Rs5.3 million from his bank accounts.
Sohail Tanvir had filed an appeal against the FBR’s action of detecting amount and got favourable decision both from Appellate and Tribunal forums. Finally, Lahore High Court was moved for the claim of refunds payment to the player.
According to Regional Taxpayer Office (RTO) Rawalpindi’s communication to the Lahore High Court Rawalpindi Bench, the refund claims were analysed in details by the tax authorities.
This detailed examination reveals that the tax returns filed by Sohail Tanvir for tax year 2011 to 2016 do not include foreign income which being resident individual he was bound to declare while filing returns of several years. This revelation shows that he had not declared whatever he had earned by participating into different games all these years.
The FBR notice states that in February 2012, the cricketer Sohail Tanvir signed contract with Bangladesh Premier League to play Sylhet Royals for $100,000. In June 2013, he signed contract with Hampshire Country UK. On Feb 12, 2015, he signed contract with Somerset to play Nat West T20 Blast and in Feb 2016, Sohail played the Caribbean Premier League franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors for $160000. The FBR also wrote to him that he had played Pakistan Super League for Karachi Kings as Platinum Player for $140000. He had not declared salary income.
According to the FBR’s notices to Sohail, having NTN 3084657-9 under section 122 (9) for amending assessments, the examination of his return for tax year 2012 and 2013 revealed that he paid tax of Rs619,742. The FBR had acquired definite information that Sohail Tanvir had participated in Sri Lanka Premier League from July 19, 2011 to August 4, 2011. He also played for Worcestershire County UK from June 11, 2012 to July 9, 2012. However, the FBR sent out notice states that he had declared only Pakistan source income and none of the foreign source income was declared by him. He had also played South African T20 League from Feb 17, 2013 to March 27, 2013 and County Cricket of Hampshire UK from May 22, 2013 to August 18, 2013.
On the other hand, Sohail Tanvir said he had filed a case against FBR for attachment of his accounts for recovering Rs 5.3 million from him three years back and won the case from Appellate, Tribunal and finally from Lahore High Court. About his non-declaration of foreign income, he said that he had submitted original documents with the FBR in order to show that he had paid 40 percent tax in UK on his income from playing cricket.
