Missing NTNs, CNIC numbers; wrong category: 0.35 million IT returns not fed into e-systems

The data of 350,000 income tax returns has not been fed into the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) electronic system as the registered persons have not provided the national tax numbers (NTNs), computerised national identity card numbers (CNICs), and given incorrect categorisation of business activity and other particulars.
Sources told Business Recorder here on Monday that the issue of incorrect particulars provided by the taxpayers was taken in a recent meeting between Aminullah Khan, Member (Enforcement & Accounting), FBR, and Chief Executive of Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) concerning income tax return processing.
In response to the query made by Member (E&A) regarding the position of returns and statements filed through e-filing of last year returns and those further processed, general manager (GM) PRAL intimated that most of the returns have been entered in the system except about 350,000 Income Tax Returns that could not be entered for various reasons such as non-provision of NTN, CNIC and incorrect categorisation, etc.
Such returns will be processed soon. The data of 350,000 incomplete income tax returns clearly reflects that even the basic information like NTN or CNIC has not been provided in returns for which taxpayers needed to be educated. While discussing the management of withholding statements, the tax officials dilated upon mechanism for ascertaining factual number of withholding agents and enforcing periodic statements.
It was decided to recommend initiation of a Pilot Project by FBR Inland Revenue (IR) Wing for extracting the details from existing electronic information through system with the help of a robust IT application. Secretary (IMS) may examine and indicate the feasibility for such project. The same information may be utilised for identifying the taxpayers without NTN/CNIC and tax registration, FBR added.