Pakistan

All but 100 parliamentarians filed taxes for fiscal year 2012-2013: Tax Directory

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paid Rs2.65 million in income tax for the year ending June 30, 2013.

Shahbaz Rana February 15, 2014

Opposition leader Syed Khurshid Shah paid Rs62,214 as income tax. DESIGN: ESSA MALIK

ISLAMABAD: All but a 100 parliamentarians had filed their tax returns for last year with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif paying Rs2.65 million in taxes last year revealed the Parliamentarians’ Tax Directory.

While Nawaz had filed his hefty tax bull, he did not pay a penny in the Income Support Levy, imposed at a rate of rate of 0.5% on the value of all moveable assets by his own government. His entire cabinet appeared to be earning modest incomes and paid very little in taxes.

Opposition Leader in National Assembly Syed Khursheed Shah paid just Rs62,214 income tax in fiscal year 2012-13 that ended on June 30. He too did not pay any Income Support Levy (ISL), according to the Tax Directory. All earnings from the ISL was earmarked for beneficiaries of Benazir Income Support Fund.

Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, while noting the data to be provisional, said that due process was being undertaken for the remaining parliamentarians.

The directory added that all 1172 parliamentarians had obtained their National Tax Numbers (NTNs). Of these, as many as 1072 had filed income tax returns for the tax year ending June 30, 2013, leaving only 100 parliamentarians unaccounted for.

COMMENTS (8)

unbiased | 10 years ago | Reply

If you are searching for a certain Imran Khan tax amount that he paid, it is paltry Rs. 194,000.

and you thought change is coming.. ha!

Saleem | 10 years ago | Reply

Those who don't believe in the system, and doesn't respect it, has no right to be a parliamentarian and thus must be picked out.

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numbersnumbers | 10 years ago | Reply

A quick search on WIKIPEDIA for "Nawaz Sharif" would result in a long and detailed article about the current PM, along with an interesting "wealth section" near the end. The footnote for that section is particularly interesting for it reveals detailed empires for some notable Pakistanis! As for taxes paid by Nawaz Sharif, Rs 2.65 million is a little over $25,000 US Dollars, which is a pittance on an estimated (wikipedia reference) world wide personal empire worth more than $1 Billion US!!! By the way $ 1 billion US is written as $1,000,000,000.00 By comparison, on assets worth between $190 and $250 million USD per disclosures, Presidential candidate Mitt Romney earned around $13.7 million $US, and paid Federal incomes taxes on that of around $1.9 million USD!

faysal | 10 years ago | Reply

what you guys are forgetting is this tax payment is for fiscal year 2012-13 which ended on 30 june last year.during that year, nawaz was not the PM...he took oath on 5th june only..

Zain | 10 years ago | Reply @Salman: The 2million+ is personal income tax. The industrial units the family owns as a private conglomerate pay corporate taxes. But can't expect Insafians to understand basics and not sprout the '5000 tax' lie.

Muslim Leaguer | 10 years ago | Reply

This is another great step towards real democracy in Pakistan when the clean-up process is working to weed out the fake degreeholders, dual nationals and now tax non-filers. The parliamentarians who do not file their tax returns should be Disqualified and given the same punishment as fake degreeholders and dual nationals who have lied under oath. In the next stage, scrutinization of all these tax returns should be made and shortfall, if any, must be recovered. This process should be repeated for all Government functionaries (bureaucrats, military, judiciary) who are being paid from the Taxpayers money.

SHB | 10 years ago | Reply Those one hundred parliamentarians who did not file the tax returns, their membership should be suspended including their privileges. Their names should be given in the news papers every day till they file their tax returns. They should not be allowed to travel by air lines within the country. And also their names should be on exit control list. If they still do not file the tax returns in the next thirty days, their electric and gas connections at their residence should be disconnected. If they still do not file the tax returns, then they should be forced to sleep in the same room , where Mr Musharraf is staying now a days in Islamabad( AFIC). This is will be the last punishment till they file their tax returns. I hope moderator will let my post go thru.

Salman | 10 years ago | Reply Prime Minister paying Rs 2.65 million tax? I doubt that his foreign visit to a particular country is worth more the tax he is paying. What about all the industrial income tax? What about the tax on property he owns? God have mercy on Pakistan.

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