ISLAMABAD - Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to issue notices to further 100,000 individuals in coming days with a high net worth but non-filers to broaden the tax base of the country. The FBR had already issued notices to 100,000 non-filers who own a house larger than 500 square yards or vehicle over 1,000 cc, said FBR Member Inland and Revenue (Policy), Dr Hamid Ateeq Sarwar while addressing a press conference.
He further said that FBR had issued notices on the basis of data provided by different banks, indicating them to be the potential filers but there were non-filers so far.
He informed the media that FBR has also devised a plan to increase the number of Sales Tax Registration to 0.4 million in next three years, which would help in generating additional revenues and documentation of economy.
Around 250,000 people are already registered with FBR’s sales tax net. However, only 41,000 are paying the sales tax that is very low.
Sharing the details, he said that FBR has decided to target 4000 mega stores of different brands, including clothes and shoes, for bringing into tax net.
All the brands are allowed to receive only 14 percent sales tax from their customers on collection.
Similarly, the customers should check Sales Tax Number (STN) before paying for their products, Sarwar added. The FBR’s member further said that tax collection could improve by bringing manufacturing and retailers into tax net.
“We have 100 percent coverage from import sector and the Board has been working on manufacturing and potential retail sector to increase its sales tax base,” he added.
He said FBR has launched digital app ‘Tax Assan’. App would facilitate the taxpayers as per international standard.
It would help the customers to automatically inform about the sales tax deduction by FBR.
The App would also the customers them to know about registered shops and brands.
Member Information Technology (IT) Mehmood Aslam has also briefed the media on the App.
He informed that government has introduced the App for modernisation and simplification of the FBR system to facilitate the tax-filers.
“We are working in line with the vision of the government for evolving an integrated automation system to address different complaints,” he added.
He said ‘Tax Assan’ App would be facilitating the new tax-filer for registering their application and soon after completion of registration they would get their STN.
He said that after registration for STN, the filers must go through Bio-Metric verification to National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) within 30 days otherwise STN registration to be inactive after 30 days.
