ISLAMABAD: Regional Tax Office (RTO) Chief Commissioner Naushad Ali Khan chaired a briefing on “Voluntary Tax Payment Scheme”, pledging that the new scheme would help increasing tax-net and build traders’ confidence in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
the briefing took place at the Regional Tax Office, Islamabad, and was attended by a delegations of traders and business community led by the President of All Pakistan Anjuman-e-Tajran (APAT), Muhammad Ajmal Baloch. He was accompanied by office bearers of Islamabad’s traders associations including Sardar Tahir Mehmood, Chaudhry M Irfan, Zahid Toufiq, Abid Khan, Syed Nadeem Mansor and others.
Talking with traders, the RTO chief commissioner applauded FBR’s new policy to enhance tax-net while expressing the determination to overcome the hurdles likely to encounter the newly draft “Voluntary Tax Payment Scheme”, – spelled in Urdu as “Raza Karana Tax Adaiggi Scheme”.
“It is a four year scheme, 2015-2018”, Chief Commissioner Naushad said, adding that traders could show working capital upto Rs 50 million. He said prime objective of this scheme was to facilitate traders and to bring them into tax net. In this regard, the tax ration was reduced up to .02 percent on turnover less than Rs 50 million.
Furthermore, the entrants in the scheme would get amnesty from audit of their revenue involved for four years, he said. He underscored that, both, tax filers and non-filers could take benefit of the scheme.
Highlighting the target traders of the scheme, he said that traders, who included, sellers, purchasers were main target of this scheme who deal marketing without changing the item. Other than these, people who were dealing and repairing and maintenance of such item could also take benefit of the said scheme, Naushad stated.
Chief Commissioner replied to questions posed by traders and ensured them that the scheme would continue whatsoever the changes takes place at country’s government. “Scheme will sustain even in the tenure of upcoming governments”, Naushad said.
“This scheme is formed after intensive consultation with traders and it will benefit you”, he claimed while replying traders’ questions.
Moreover, he said that he had established mobile unites to address complaints by traders and markets of Islamabad. “If you have any complaints then may report for to mobile unites for immediate action”, he asked traders.
He also acknowledged and appreciated the idea that FBR facilitation units must be established at branches of banks and pledged that he would put this suggestion with high-ups on the board.
Meanwhile, APAT president, Ajmal applauded the scheme claiming that it could include upto 300000 traders into tax-net. He expressed gratitude to FBR and the government for introducing traders’ friendly scheme.
