LAHORE: The employees of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), including officers and lower grade staff, should be rewarded and appreciated as they made it possible through their untiring efforts to increase tax to GDP ratio by 9.5 percent during last fiscal year 2014-15.
This was stated by former president of the Lahore Tax Bar Association (LTBA), Habibur Rehman Zubari, in a statement here on Wednesday.
He added that the FBR officers and other staff should be rewarded for their brilliant performance as the encouragement will further motivate the department to improve its performance.
He also lauded the efforts of Member Information Technology, Raana Ahmad who have undertaken a number of expansions in the FBR.
He said that computerised exemption certificates are being issued which is one very vital and far reaching step in a positive direction of advancement of the FBR tax system.
“Earlier, the attaining the exemption certificates was an uphill task for the taxpayers and the withholding agents as they had to wait for days and even months to get the certificate. Now it has been made so simple that one can attain the exemption certificate simply by entering details in a computerized form and the FBR sends you computerized certificate in response on your email address.
However, he pointed out that there is an abundance of untapped potential which need to be explore further.
“FBR should conduct tax survey on regular basis without any delay, simplify the e-filing system, return forms should be printed in both English and Urdu languages and should be made available everywhere,” he said, adding that FBR should open its sub-offices at the market places to actually tap the tax revenue potential.
He pointed out that scattered office palaces of FBR were also proving an impediment in the way of tax collection and putting the withholding agents in trouble instead all the offices should be at one place with banking channels facilities.
Further, he added that tax return forms should be made available from the very beginning of the financial years which was also creating problems for the taxpayers. This year the FBR has issued return form after one and a half month, he highlighted.
He further added that FBR has a number of brilliant brains like Iftikhar Qutab who can make the tax collection system people friendly. The board should utilize the skills and experience of such officials to bring more innovation in the tax system.
