FBR’s move to milk honest taxpayers blasted: PEW
Action should be taken against tax evaders
FBR’s decision to hit the government’s reputation
The Pakistan Economy Watch (PEW) on Saturday condemned the move by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to mint billions of rupees from late filers and salaried class.
The FBR is in habit of milking honest taxpayers to hide its inefficiency and corruption which should be noticed by the government, it said.
The Apex tax agency has issued notices to over a million late filers asking them to pay two percent of their total turnover or pay twenty-five percent over and above the tax paid for the last year which is deception and extortion, said Dr. Murtaza Mughal, President of PEW.
The FBR has not taken any meaningful action against tax evaders and non-filers but it continues to punish honest taxpayers to meet targets which is not tolerable, he added.
Dr. Murtaza Mughal said that salaried class has been given the option to pay Rs2000 before the deadline or face legal action which is a solid case of harassment as the salaried class has already paid over Rs133 billion in taxes during the last year.
He said that a part of the business community is in a position to agree to the unethical demands of FBR so that the institution can show enhanced revenue generation but the salaried class which is already reeling under inflation cannot bear this burden.
Masses are frequently told to become filer but when they trust the authorities and become a filer then they are cheated which is damaging the reputation of the government, he observed.
FBR is pressurizing taxpayers for additional revenue through different tactics which is like a witch-hunt that will widen the gulf between the taxpayers and the FBR, he warned.
Click here to View Printed Statement
