ISLAMABAD - Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Thursday took a serious notice of the news stating that 1200 out of 1743 of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) officials have not submitted their income tax returns.
The FBR has several times asked its officials to submit their income tax returns but still large number of the officers failed to discharge their national obligations to file their returns. Sources informed that around 1200 officers have not file their returns out of the 1743 officers working in tax department of the country, FBR. Therefore, the Finance Minister has taken notice of the issue and directed chairman FBR Tariq Bajwa to verify the veracity of the report and if found correct, the defaulting officers should be directed to file their returns by 10th June subject to existing rules. Failing to comply with the directions given by the Finance Minister, punitive action should be taken against the non-complaint officers and their performance allowance must be stopped.
The Finance Minister added that the Government would not allow evasion of tax declaration by government officials who ought to set an example for ordinary citizens.
Prior to the Finance Minister’s notice, the Chairman FBR had already taken the notice on it and ordered them to submit their returns with fine under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 by June 16. “I am directed to refer to the above subject and to say that a large number of officers of FBR have not yet filed their Income Tax Returns for the Tax Year 2013.
The competent authority has taken a serious view of the situation and has directed that Tax Returns may be filed by all defaulting officers by 16.06.2014 along with penalty to be calculated as per provisions of section 182 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001”, said Muhammad Majid Secretary (Management-IR-I) Federal Board of Revenue (Hq) in a warning letter to All Chief Commissioners-IR/ DGs/ Chief Collectors/ Collectors. The officers who fail to file their return of Income by the aforementioned date are informed that their Performance Allowance will be discontinued without any further notice.