Broadening tax base: Data of power, gas cos and property registrar being utilized

ISLAMABAD: The government has maintained that continuous efforts are being made to broaden the tax base and for this purpose data of power and gas companies as well as motorway vehicles registration authority and property registrar was being used.

A meeting of the Senate Finance Committee has sought briefing from the Finance Ministry and Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) on efforts being made for broadening in general and particular by the Regional Tax Office Abbottabad.

The officials of the Finance Ministry and the FBR informed the committee that data of Peshawar Electric Supply Company (PESCO), the SNGPL, and motorway vehicles registration authority and property registrar is gathered on a regular basis for the purpose of broadening of tax base.

Continuous efforts for broadening of tax base are undertaken to enroll new tax payers through the FBR data base, the meeting was further told. The officials said that representatives of trade bodies at local level are actively engaged in order to educate and facilitate the prospective taxpayers, besides government, private and public entities, withholding agents are also being engaged and educated through training sessions, visits, and meetings to make them tax compliant.

The officials said that to ensure maximum tax return filing for the tax year 2021, regional tax office Abbottabad has launched a well-coordinated campaign to educate importance of timely filing of tax returns at RTO level through visits and training session with government bodies, traders associations/unions etc falling under the jurisdiction. RTO have chalked out and prioritised areas for establishing kiosks in local markets and public areas officials were deputed to act as liaison bodies with all stakeholders, they added.

The meeting was informed that facilitation desks were established in all offices of Regional Tax Office Abbottabad where visiting taxpayers were provided with the facility of income tax return filing for tax year 2021 and proper arrangement were made to facilitate taxpayers.

Additionally, separate desks were formed for resolving issues such as passwords retrieving of taxpayers, changing of cell number or email of taxpayers' profile. All these measures promoted the tax culture, the meeting was informed.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021