FBR to implement major tax collection measures

Survey planned to curb evasion, bring wealthy into tax net

ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to begin a survey on April 15 in Punjab with the aim to introduce single tax return reform, making the federal and provincial taxes consistent.

The other objective of the move is to trace the richest non-filers and for the sales tax registration of non-registered manufacturers’ units.

A decision has also been made to make the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) Directorate General for Special Measures operational.

According to documents available with The Express Tribune, the directorate general is to coordinate with the provincial authorities in order to design the information exchange mechanism, make federal and provincial taxes consistent and introduce single tax reform.

It will also develop a mechanism to exchange information to curb tax theft and trace the wealthy in order to bring them into the tax net.

Inland Revenue Policy Member Hamid Ateeq Sarwar has specified professional responsibilities of the department, in addition to saying that the data collected in the federal government’s Punjab survey will be shared with the Federal Board of Revenue and its various departments to enable action against those evading tax, which the directorate general will also monitor.



The directorate general will also trace those not paying income tax and will prepare a profile of non-filers.

It will prepare the profiles of the wealthiest people who, despite possessing huge sums of money, neither have an NTN nor submit returns.

Additionally, the entity will register large institutions along with the number of their employees and the amount of electricity they use.

As part from the decision to make the directorate general operational, two vacancies, one of Grade 21 and the other of Grade 19, are to be created in the Inland Revenue Service in addition to arranging staff for the purpose.

A summary to create the new posts has been sent for approval and estimations for a separate budget for the payment of employees’ salaries and allowances as well as the fulfilment of various expenses are being prepared. The approval of a separate budget for the department in the 2019-20 federal budget will also be sought and funds allocated.