RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI) president Malik Shahid Saleem has said traders across the board demand an end to harassment under the garb of tax collection. “FBR and income tax staff should treat traders with respect,” adding that tax return filers must be exempted from tax audit.
Addressing a traders meeting at Chamber house Rawalpindi, RCCI President urged federal Board of Revenue that traders are not against taxes; however, harassment should be stopped in the name of tax collections, registration of business centers and multiple audits and misuse of discretionary powers of Inland Revenue officers.
Tax payers and trade associations are approaching Chamber of Commerce and informed that raids are being carried out on different business centers and Inland Revenue staff took entire record of the companies in custody and harassed the staff, he added.
Malik Shahid Saleem said that RCCI has taken up this issue with all key stakeholders including Prime Minister Imran Khan and Finance Minister Asad Umar. The PM Imran Khan while addressing RCCI 11th Presidents’ Conference earlier this week has assured us that “Reforming FBR is essential. Until that is done, we [the state] will not be able to meet our expenses,”.
He said that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) must facilitate taxpayers and focus on non-filers by enhancing taxes on them to improve the tax revenue of the country.
It is unfortunate on FBR part that instead penalizing non-filers, notices are being served to tax payers (filers), RCCI President lamented.
He suggested that FBR can work together with National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) in identifying potential taxpayers, roughly 3.2 million.
Malik Shahid Saleem expressed hope that FBR will also work as a partner with business community in collection of revenues.
