MULTAN: Chairman of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will announce a comprehensive policy regarding the payment of sales tax refunds in the first week of September (soon after Eid-ul-Azha) while present Government had paid Rs26.43 billion sales tax refunds to traders and exporters covering 10,439 RPOs on August ,8,2017. said Chief Commissioner inland revenue Multan Aasim Ahmed while aadressing a meeting of Multan chamber meeting chaired by its President Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi. Chief Commissioner said that refund claims issue was very burning and its is raised at all fora by the traders and exporters.He suggested that a timeline can be synchronised with mutual under standing for payment of big cases of income tax refunds.He assured that refund cases upto Rs.one million would be cleared very soon.He pointed out that errors and omissions in refund documents were main cause of the delay in payment.He maintained that RPOs would be eventually reprocessed and verified under the new exercise being carried out by the field formations hopwever 'he made it clear that we were not employing delaying tactics as was assumed. Chief Commissioner asked the businessmen to contact him directly if they smell the high handedness or excession of any official. He said that he was duty bound to facilitate the tax payers and to resiolve their problems. Aasim ahmed said that he had called a report of all pending cases within a week. He further said that Deputy Commissioner income tax (Head quarter) would also serve as Deputy Commissioner (Registration). To a Question Chief Commissioner told that RTO Multan had issued salex tax refunds of Rs.300 million and further improvement was expected in a couple of months. He offered to Multan Chamber to nominate its two representatives for tax advisory committee and FBR would notify their names immediately. To a question Chief Commissioner said that Intelligence and investigation departmnt of FBR was not under his subordination however they complete their homework before raiding any place. He said that people were not ready to submit tax returns however ,we have to achieve the target of new tax payers with the cooperation and assistance of industrialists and businessmen.He assured that next part of the refund commitment would soon be fulfilled by making payments against RPOs with amount more than Rs1 million .These refund payments would not only cover exporters but all other claimants in all sectors of economy. This would resolve liquidity problems that the taxpayers are facing, he added.He said that to fulfil the commitment FBR is forwarding electronic payment advice to State Bank of Pakistan.The next part of the refund commitment would be fulfilled by making payments against RPOs with amount more than Rs1 million .In his welcome address Khawaja Jalaluddin Roomi said that tax collectors would have to alleviate the fear among the general public before expanding its tax-net. He said that what a pity that less than one million people out of total 210 million people were paying taxes because people are highly terrified with the behaviour and procedure of inconme tax department.He suggested that Government should introduce an incentive for large tax-payers .
There should be a facility of mark-up free loans or bonds for those whose refunds of billions of rupees were not cleared so that they could run their business. He said that industry was passing through financial stress due to non-payment of their income as well as sales tax refunds. He stressed the need for simplifying the salex tax registration, fresh registration,change of status or anyother amendment. He suggested that FBR should avoid to take hard-decisions like attachement of bank accounts, freezing of funds , Delay in issuance of examination certificate. Roomi said “For the first time refund payments were made by direct electronic transfer to claimants’ bank accounts through State Bank ,” this measure is aimed at enhancing transparency and facilitation and reducing contact between tax collectors and the taxpayers. He hoped that the new Chief commissioner and his team will strive to overcome the challenges and make all-out efforts to achieve the target for the new financial year and simultaneously accord due priority to facilitation of taxpayers.The meeting was also attended by Khawaja Muhammad Younas Chairman of APBUMA, President of Multan Industrial Estate Management Company Khawaja Muhammad Azam, Ex-President of FPCCI Mian Tanvir Ahmed Sheikh, Ex-Presidents of MCCI Mian Mughis A Sheikh, Mian Farid Mughis Sheikh , Bakhtawar Tanvir Sheikh , Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners of RTO Multan.
