ISLAMABAD: The Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue, Pakistan has found some serious discrepancies in issuance of statutory notices through the IRIS System of the federal Board of Revenue (FBR) and summoned officials from the FBR Information Technology (IT wing) and the Pakistan Revenue Automation Limited (PRAL) to appear before the ATIR on September 7, 2021.
Earlier, the ATIR Islamabad also summoned the FBR officials from Large Taxpayer Office, Islamabad in an income tax appeal challenging patently illegal proceedings to turn the tax status of taxpayer as “Inactive” and passing of order u/s 120(4) of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 to declare the return as “Invalid”.
When contacted, tax lawyer Waheed Shahzad Butt, who is representing the case before the ATIR told this correspondent that there is an issue of returning taxpayer money in the shape of refunds. The tax status of refund claimant was made “Inactive” and later revered to “Active” during the refund process.
ATIR summons LTO Islamabad officer over income tax matter
The ATIR order states, “Today during hearing of the case some serious discrepancies have emerged out about issuance of notices through IRIS System of FBR. The parties to appeal, being not fully adept with IRIS systems and technicalities of online systems, are unable to assist this tribunal in a ways to reach at a definite conclusion and finding about the procedure and process of issuance of notices to the taxpayer by the tax authorities through online system known as IRIS. It is therefore, inevitable to have assistance from a person or agency having sufficient knowledge and adeptness knowledge and adeptness over the matter of online application systems especially the IRIS (the system introduced by FBR for online corresponding between the taxpayer and tax authorities),to reach on a certain conclusion as to the objection of taxpayer in this regard. For this purpose, no one except PRAL is competent and concordant authority to explain the whole procedure of online application and corresponding through IRIS system.”
Waheed added no doubt Mal-administration was a colonial tradition adopted by the Foreign Rulers to subjugate the Natives, unfortunately in the instance case some rogue elements sitting at LTO Islamabad are exactly playing the role of foreign rulers with the taxpayer of their own country. In the instance case some IRS officials have deliberately, willfully and knowingly prejudiced the process of the law, diverted the course of justice, with a clear intent to obstruct the administration of justice, knowingly flout the authority and dignity of the courts. We therefore, ask Member IT (FBR) and CEO (PRAL) to depute a well conversant with and expert about knowledge of PRAL system and online application based on IRIS system to appear on 07.09.2021 before this tribunal for assistance on the issue in hand, the ATIR ordered.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2021
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