ISLAMABAD: Habib Ullah Khan, Chief Commissioner Inland Revenue, Regional Tax Office, Islamabad said that tax advisory committees were effective tool to address tax problems and improve tax revenue and he would soon reactivate Tax Advisory Committee in Islamabad comprising representative of RTO Islamabad and ICCI to resolve the tax related issues of the local business community. He said this while speaking at Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry. He visited ICCI along with Freedon Akram Sheikh Commissioner IR Withholding Tax Zone, Abdul Hameed, Commissioner IR East Zone, Ms. Aisha Farooq Commissioner IR West Zone and Muhammad Waqas Hanif Additional Commissioner IR.
The Chief Commissioner said that he would work with ICCI to identify new taxpayers and expand tax base in Islamabad. He said judicious taxation, bridging gap between taxpayers and tax collectors and broadening the tax would be the key focus of his efforts. He said that government wanted a business friendly tax culture to broaden the tax base and assured that no coercive measures would be taken against taxpayers and tax would be collected with friendly approach. He said if any taxpayer had any genuine complaint, his doors would be opened to address such complaints.
Speaking at the occasion, Sheikh Amir Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry highlighted the tax related issues being faced by the business community and sought the cooperation of Chief Commissioner to address them. He said tax advisory committee should be revived forthwith that would help in addressing issues and improving confidence between taxpayers and tax collectors.
He said measures like attachment of taxpayers’ bank accounts for recovery, repeated selection of a taxpayer for audit, keeping audit cases pending for long periods, issuing late notices to taxpayers and raiding business premises should be avoided because such tactics have always created unnecessary harassment in business community and discouraged tax culture. He said high tax rates should be revised that would help in improving tax revenue.
Muhammad Naveed Senior Vice President and Nisar Ahmed Miraz Vice President ICCI said that before taking action against any local taxpayer, RTO Islamabad should take ICCI on board so that issues could be resolved with mutual efforts.
Khalid Javed, Mian Akram Farid, Ejaz Abbasi, Ch. Waheed ud Din, Ms. Nasira Ali and representatives of various markets also raised many tax related issues and stressed for their urgent resolution to facilitate the growth of business activities.
