Effective measures being taken to broaden tax base

[Naveed Yaseen]

SOHAIL SARFRAZ
ISLAMABAD (December 17 2008): The data of wholesalers and dealers of big companies and corporate entities has been examined in the field formations to register the potential businessmen with the income tax department. Sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday that the tax officials in "Survey and Collation Wings" have started taking effective measures to broaden the tax-base under the guidelines of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

Sources said that the break-up of supplies made by the companies are being securitised to broaden the tax-base. The data of dealers, to whom supplies are being made, has been examined to bring potential units on the tax roll. The field formations are also collecting employees' information from the Accountant General of Pakistan (AGPR). This employees' survey would be instrumental in collecting data of persons to whom AGPR has paid salary.

The cross matching of data would identify salaried individuals liable to be brought on the tax roll under the law. The department is also checking sales tax paying persons, who are not registered with the income tax department. It would be seen whether the sales tax registered persons have been properly registered and discharging their tax liability in the income tax department.

In some cases, commercial importers do not file returns on the assumption that the tax has been deducted, which is final discharge of their tax liability. The insurance companies' data has also been obtained to check their agents for registration purposes, if required.

Sources said that the board wanted to bring mobile phone users having annual bill of over and above Rs 1 lakh into the tax net under the new plan to broaden the tax-base in 2008-2009. However, officials could not collect information of persons who are using pre-paid calling cards.

Field formations are also asking the purchasers of new vehicles for brining them on tax roll to ensure broadening the tax-base. The regional income tax offices are co-ordinating with the motor registration authorities to ensure that the computerised national identity card numbers (CNICs) must be recorded in the registration documents pertaining to newly purchased cars.

The income tax officials have decided to obtain record of frequent travellers by air from the travel agents and airlines for brining all such international travellers into the tax net.

Sources said that the income tax officials have also co-ordinated with the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) and Wapda for obtaining regular information of major commercial and industrial consumers for detection of cases of non-payment of tax. The actual consumption of natural gas/electricity would clearly indicate about the production of these units to ascertain their tax liability. The un-registered units showing huge amount of natural gas bills would be brought into the tax net.

Similarly, CNICs of the new purchasers of cars can help the department to check source of income from the concerned person. If a person has purchased a new car, the NTN of the person could be asked for inquiring about the source of income. The department can obtain the CNIC from the relevant motor registration authorities for probing the income on the basis of information available under the CNIC/NTN database of the FBR.

Special cells would verify information on purchasers of property and other transactions within the real estate sector. The buying and selling of property would be checked to document the investors behind such transactions. The data on purchasers of new vehicles, insurance companies, connections of electricity and natural gas by the commercial and industrial consumers and other data would be verified to broaden the tax-base.

http://www.brecorder.com/index.php?id=852865