ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman has directed the Revenue Division and the FBR to remove operational deficiencies being faced by the taxpayers while using Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) as the National Tax Number (NTN).
The FTO also directed the Revenue Division and the FBR to ensure smooth payment of taxes and filing of returns under Section 181 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
The FTO had issued these directives in response of a complaint submitted at regional office Lahore by a citizen/consumer, Shahid Mushtaq. Shahid had filed a complaint under Section 10(1) of the Finance Act, 2015 and conferred to the failure of FBR to implement the changes brought in income tax law through Finance act, 2015 where the CNIC was made to replace NTN.
The complainant had viewed that, under the amended tax law, returns by individuals could be filed on the basis of CNIC without obtaining NTN.
He had questioned the allotment of NTN and process of registration to get NTN as this process was contrary to the amended provisions of law. He argued that NTN’s were being forcibly allotted through the registration process which was against eh spirit of amendment in law.
The complaint addressed the SRO 791(1)/2015 dated August 10, 2015, issued after amendment introduced in sub-section (4) of the Section 181 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, whereby the individuals deriving income from salary were obliged to fled income tax return electronically.
In order to content the compliant and satisfy the FTO, FBR undertook changes in the process and criteria of registration, e-enrolment, deciding the registration and e-enrolment, and modification of cancellation of registration, which the FTO had deemed as an act of essential to fulfill the provisions of said law.
The FTO had issued the directives observing that implementation must take place upon a set of changes introduced by the FBR following the complaint and investigations conducted by the FTO office.
