Import of LNG: rate of advance tax quite different for filers, non-filers

The rate of advance tax on the import of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) by a private company is 5.5 percent and by government designated buyer like Pakistan State Oil (PSO) is one percent of the import value as increased by customs duty, sales tax and federal excise duty.
Official sources told Business Recorder here on Saturday that the rate of advance tax on the import of LNG is different for filers and non-filers. The status of advance tax at import stage of LNG revealed that in case where GoP-designated buyer imports LNG, the rate of tax for ''''filer'''' is 1 percent of the import value as increased by customs duty, sales tax and federal excise duty. For non-filer, the rate of withholding tax is 1.5 percent of the import value as increased by customs duty, sales tax and federal excise duty. In case where a private company imports LNG, the rate of advance tax would be 5.5 percent for filers and 8 percent for non-filer, sources said.
In case where GoP-designated buyer (Pakistan State Oil) imports LNG and then sells it to any private company or GoP-owned company, sources referred that sub-section (1) shall not apply to:
1) A sale of goods where the sale is made by the importer of the goods and tax under section 148 in respect of such goods has been paid and the goods are sold in the same condition as they were when imported.
(47A) The provisions of section 153 shall not apply in respect of payments received by a resident person for supply of such goods as were imported by the same person and on which tax has been paid under section 148, they added. About the advance/withholding tax implication on sale of RLNG station, sources referred to the section 234A CNG Stations.
There shall be collected advance tax at the rate of 4 per cent (Division VIB of Part III of the First Schedule) on the amount of gas bill of a compressed natural gas station.
The person preparing gas consumption bill shall charge advance tax under sub-section (1) in the manner gas consumption charges are charged.
The tax collected under this section shall be a final tax on the income of a CNG station arising from the consumption of the gas referred to in sub-section (1).
The taxpayers shall not be entitled to claim any adjustment of withholding tax collected or deducted under any other head, during the tax year, it added.