ISLAMABAD - The Federal Board of Revenue would impose fine on over 350 parliamentarians of the country over their failure to file income tax returns for incorporation in tax directory as announced by the government.
According to details, around 800 of 1,172 lawmakers of the country filed their income tax returns till Saturday. “FBR will impose fine on those parliamentarians who have failed to file their income tax returns, as it does to the other common people,” said Inland Revenue Service (IRS) Senior Member Shahid Hussain Asad (who is also spokesman for the FBR), while talking to The Nation on Saturday.
He further said the parliamentarians could file their returns in next one or two days as the FBR would issue a tax directory about details of payment of their taxes on February 15. “In case they do not file returns within two days, the FBR will be left with no option but to publish their names as non-filers. This is in their own interest to file income tax returns to avoid further inconvenience,” sources said. FBR could take action against non-taxpayers by imposing fine in accordance with the constitutional procedure, they said.
It is worth mentioning that Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar had announced to issue a tax directory about the parliamentarians by February 15 and another overall tax directory concerning business community as well as other citizens in March. The government’s decision of issuing a tax directory came when media raised the issue of nonpayment of tax by the lawmakers of the country.
The FBR has issued national tax numbers (NTNs) to all the members of the National Assembly, the Senate and the provincial assemblies with the direction to file their returns by February 7 otherwise their tax status would be declared as non-filers in the tax directory by Feb 15, 2013.