LAHORE: Tax system should be made a part of curriculum to create awareness and to educate each and every citizen of Pakistan about the importance of filing of tax returns and payment of tax liability.
These views were expressed by Commissioner Inland Revenue, Information Processing and Taxpayers Facilitation Zone Fiza Batool during an exclusive interview with Customs Today.
She said that tax revenue is a backbone of any country because no nation can survive without solid economy and income can be generated only through a strong taxation system in the country.
Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is striving hard to expand tax net but FBR could only succeed when every segment of society plays vital role in tax payment. So the education of each and every segment like businessmen, teachers, students and government officers is necessary in this regard, she said.
Commissioner Inland Revenue said that as focal person on tax returns, she is working hard with her team and conducting seminars, corner meetings and is delivering lectures in the educational institutions on taxation system and filing of tax returns.
Fiza said she holds seminar in Pakistan Railways Headquarters, Lahore Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and delivers lecture in Punjab University to aware and educate the government employees and businessmen and to educate the teachers and students about payment of tax liability.
Talking to Customs Today, she highlighted there are more benefits to become filers but unfortunately our society is not aware about the importance of taxes.
She said when a citizen purchases a vehicle, transfers car, purchases property, prize bond or any other thing he pays more taxes from his liability. She put some examples and differentiated the tax payment for the filer and non-filer by saying that when a filer buys a 1000CC car he pays Rs20,000 tax but non-filer pays Rs25,000 tax, similarly tax on property for filer is one percent but it is two percent for non-filer, tax on prize bond is 15 percent for filer and 25 percent for non-filer.
She stressed that there are lots of benefits for filers in the system but due to lack of guidance Pakistanis can not get those benefits.
Talking on another important point, Fiza Batool said when a citizen of Pakistan earns his money through legal ways and he does not pay his tax liability and hides his assets then his income becomes illegal and black so every citizen must become a filer and file his tax returns considering it a basic liability.
The Commissioner said the process of filing of tax return is very simple so each and every citizen can file his/her tax return from home within 15 minutes and become a filer and if any citizen cannot file tax return he must visit the help desk established in Regional Tax Offices. RTO also established Kiosks on different places in the city to help and educate the citizens so the Pakistanis can easily visit the nearest offices. In case of any problem, taxpayers can visit the offices of Assistant Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Additional Commissioners and Commissioners to resolve the problems but no laziness should be shown in filing of returns.
