Doctors not paying taxes?: 30 major Karachi hospitals issued notices

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has sent notices to 30 major hospitals in Karachi as these hospitals and the doctors, rendering services in it, are said to be not paying taxes on their incomes. According to sources, the Broadening of Tax Base (BTB) Zone of Regional Tax Office (RTO)-II has issued notices to 30 major hospitals in Karachi.
They said that physicians and surgeons, who are rendering services in these hospitals, were registered with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and Sindh Health Commission but not enrolled with FBR. Sources said the BTB zone of RTO-II during the task of identifying new taxpayers transpired that a large number of physicians and surgeons, who are registered with Pakistan Medical and Dental Council and Sindh Health Commission, are having thriving practice in Karachi but are not paying taxes on their incomes.
Therefore, BTB Zone of RTO-II in order to bring new taxpayers in the tax net has sent notices under section 176 of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 to 30 major hospitals in Karachi, asking these health centres to provide information about doctors practicing at their hospitals with respect to their earnings and other related matters. Furthermore, sources said that the tax department would cross-match the information, which would be provided by these hospitals with their withholding statements and later notices would be issued to non-filers.
The hospitals, which are issued notices, are Mamji Hospital, Fatmiyah Hospital, Dow University Hospital, Zulekha Hospital, The Indus Hospital, Mid City Hospital, National Medical Centre, Ashfaq Memorial Hospital, Ankelsana Hospital, Habib Medical Centre, Ibne Seena Hospital, Hashmani''s Hospital, Life Care Consultant Clinic, Saifee Hospital, Karachi Adventist Hospital, Health Care Centre, Nehal Hospital, Park Lane Hospital, A O Clinic, Zubaida Medical Centre, Darul Sehat Hospital, Liaquat National Hospital, Aga Khan University Hospital, Hamdard University Hospital, Usmama University Hospital, Taj Medical Complex, Jinnah Hospital, Ziauddin Medical Centre Hospital, OMI Hospital and SIUT Hospital.