The 'Tax Asaan' mobile app, which has been launched by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to facilitate salaried individuals to enroll with tax system, is not serving the purpose due to non-availability of new-registration option. According to details, the "Tax Asaan" app was earlier launched for providing basic verification features like verification of Active Taxpayer List, sales tax registration and online NTN verification and exemption certificate verification, etc in August 2019 but now FBR has incorporated the module for e-filing of income tax returns and made it operational from September 16, 2019.
Although the board claimed to have received salary returns in good numbers through this mobile app, none of the returns has been filed by any new filer due to non-availability of new-registration option. "This trial version of Tax Asaan has neither allowed new-registration nor has it provided option to retrieve forgotten password, which should be given in its full version," a tax consultant, who requested anonymity, said.
He said that this app has so far failed to calculate the income generated from rent, business, property, etc for salaried individuals. Moreover, FBR has not uploaded any tutorial on its web portal and social media to impart learning about the use of this app.
When contacted, Zeeshan Merchant, former vice president of Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA), confirmed that new-registration and password recovery options were found missing in it, saying that this app was presently facilitating only registered salaried individuals in e-filing of their income tax returns following non-availability of the said options.
Furthermore, he said that FBR has allowed submission of wealth statement with no break-up of wealth in order to facilitate salaried individuals in e-filing of income tax returns and also made wealth statement part of the new app.
However, this relief on one hand will help encouraging non-filers from salaried class to submit their income tax returns; but on the other it would provide an opportunity to government officials, others, to conceal their wealth.
Zeeshan said that FBR web portal used to send computer-generated acknowledgment to individuals email accounts after submission of returns but this feature was not present in this app, which should be incorporated by FBR.
Nevertheless, he added, the FBR has done a commendable job and this app will be more impressive and help them in broadening of tax base, if aforementioned bugs are removed in its full version with more facilitation.
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