Business

Dial T for tax directory

Revelations continue as public document is assessed further.

Our Correspondent April 17, 2014

The government’s decision to publish the tax directory has brought the country in league of only three others in the world that regularly publish tax details. PHOTO: FILE

ISLAMABAD: Former president Asif Ali Zardari paid Rs1.4 million in income tax, almost half the amount paid by Pakistan cricketer Shahid Afridi who paid Rs2.7 million last year, according to the tax directory published by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

The amount paid by Afridi is also several times higher than the taxes paid by leading politicians and top bureaucrats of the country, revealed the directory. But Afridi can never be closer to the billionaires of the country like Arif Habib. Habib, whose National Tax Number (NTN) is 0297076-7, paid Rs80.7 million in income tax.

Former Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf paid Rs177,163 income tax on income he earned during financial year 2012-13, ended June 30 last year. It was the year when he was the chief executive of the country.

The government’s decision to publish the tax directory has brought the country in league of only three other countries in the world that regularly publish tax details. But the FBR has not given full information of taxpayers. The absence of family name has made it difficult for the users to identify the bigwigs of the country.

There is also no detail available about the income and expenditures declared by the taxpayers in their income tax returns.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar paid Rs824,891 in income tax.

Meanwhile, Dar admitted on Wednesday that there were errors and omissions in the tax directory, which will be addressed soon. Dar said Pakistan decided to publish the details after the United Kingdom and United States objected over the country’s poor tax record.

Human Rights activist and lawyer Asma Jahangir, having NTN 0161209-3, paid Rs440,480 in income tax.

Abdul Wajid Rana, former finance secretary, paid around Rs850,000 in income tax. Rana is currently serving as member at the Federal Public Service Commission.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2014.

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