FBR yet to establish special hearing rooms

Tax bar contradicts reports that rooms set up in 4 LTUs and 19 RTOs

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has been given false reports by its subordinate offices regarding the establishment of special rooms in the Large Taxpayer Units (LTUs) and the Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) for hearing cases of tax disputes, The Express Tribune learnt on Thursday.

The false reporting has been pointed out by the Pakistan Tax Bar Association (PTBA). It claimed that the special rooms in the LTUs and RTOs for hearing of the case of tax disputes could not be established and that the tax bar would raise the issue with the FBR chairman.

Through a circular [No (I)chief(Mgt-IR)/2019/Misc86706-R] issued by (FBR) Chief Management Inland Revenue Dr Tariq Ghani on July 1, 2019, all the chief commissioners were directed to set up special hearing rooms immediately to hear the taxpayers’ cases in their respective LTUs and RTOs.

The letter, a copy of which is available with this correspondent, also stated that all tax cases should be heard in these special hearing rooms and no FBR officer or personnel will hear the cases in their respective offices.

A report sent to the FBR, it was stated that the hearing rooms had been set up in 4 LTUs and 19 RTOs. However, a letter written by the PTBA contradicted the compliance report, saying that no separate hearing rooms had been be established.

PTBA General Secretary Farhan Shahzad told The Express Tribune that separate hearing rooms to review the cases had not yet been set up. “Letters have been sent to the tax bar associations all over the country on the directives of the PTBA president to seek confirmation of this,” he said.

“After that the PTBA will take up the matter with the Chairman of the FBR that the circular issued on July 1 is not yet implemented,” he said, adding that effort to establish separate hearing rooms in all RTOs and LTUs would be initiated. He hoped the matter would be resolved soon.