Punishment to taxmen: FBR fails to act on FTO’s key recommendations

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has failed to implement the key recommendations of the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) who has converted the punishment of disciplinary proceedings against the tax officials to strict warning to those responsible for failure to timely submit comments.

The punishment to the tax officials was modified by the FTO office on the request of the FBR.

The review petition was filed by the FBR before the FTO in terms of section 14(8) of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, 2000 (FTO Ordinance), read with Section 13(1) of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Institutional Reforms Act, 2013, against the recommendations of the FTO.

The FTO had recommended FBR to initiate disciplinary proceedings under the Efficiency and Discipline Rules 2020 against the Officers responsible for failure to submit parawise comments despite issuance of various notices and direct the Directorate of l&l-Customs and Directorate of l&l-IR to conduct a detailed investigation on the issues involved in the Complaint after providing proper opportunity of hearing to the Complainant and forward their recommendations to the FTO and FBR.

The Tax Department prayed to withdraw the FTO’s recommendation regarding holding inquiry and initiation of E&D proceedings against the officials that failed to submit parawise comments and attend the hearing.

The FBR to issue strict warning to the Officers responsible for failure to submit para-wise comments and ask him/her to be careful in future, FTO order added.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025