The government would not allow taxpayers operating under 0.55 million unauthenticated/wrong National Tax Numbers (NTNs) to carry out business transactions from fiscal year 2006-07.
Sources told Business Recorder on Tuesday that the CBR has verified 2.1 million NTNs using data available with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).
The SECP has confirmed data pertaining to companies, while Nadra has verified the NTNs on the basis of CNIC data. The NTN Cell, Islamabad, has also consulted the field formations during verification.
However, the data of 0.55 million NTNs could not be verified from these government departments, which clearly reflects that these numbers are either doubtful or very old tax numbers. In certain cases, the numbers are not operative or the NTN holders have left the business. The Board has blocked these doubtful NTNs.
Sources said that the taxpayers have to come to the NTN centre to clarify their position regarding these tax numbers. Otherwise, NTN holders of the unverified numbers would not be allowed to conduct day to day tax-related operations.
Moreover, the persons having these unreliable numbers can not clear imported consignment or disclose the same for the purpose of filing sales tax or income tax returns.
The unauthenticated numbers have not been excluded from the 'CBR NTN Master Database Index', but have been blocked by the tax officials, they said.