The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is reluctant to provide data to the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) and repeatedly sought extension in time to file comments against complaint for recovery of untaxed/black money introduced under Amnesty Scheme earlier notified by the government vide SRO No. 1065(I)/2013 which is declared illegal by the Lahore High Court in 2018.
It is reliably learnt that complaint has been moved by tax lawyer Waheed Shahzad Butt who is petitioner before the LHC against the Amnesty Scheme introduced by the former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif vide SRO No. 1065(I)/2013 dated 20.12.2013.
Tax expert said that the FBR is avoiding providing data to the FTO and repeatedly sought time to file comments against complaint which has been preferred against Secretary Revenue Division / Chairman FBR, SA to PM on Revenue and all Chief Commissioners Inland Revenue, LTU(s), CRTO(s) & RTO(s).
Complainant stated that the Amnesty Scheme has been misused in a number of ways by the persons lined up behind the scene. The Applicant/Complainant being a taxpayer citizen of the Country, is aggrieved by the Amnesty Scheme, which not only caused huge loss to the National Exchequer but serious infringement of rights and discrimination against him and more than one million other taxpayers of Pakistan who are regularly paying their due taxes as per rates applicable under the law.
Against long delay on the part of FBR, complainant forwarded a further representation before FTO and states "Subject complaint of Public Interest nature, wherein prima facie multi billions of public exchequer are on stake, was admitted for investigation by the FTO and the Secretary Revenue Division was required to file para-wise comments vide Notice dated 13.04.2018 issued by the FTO. Quite amazingly requisite para-wise comments have not been furnished intentionally by the FBR despite lapse of 30 longs days. The case was fixed for 25.05.2018 but nobody at FBR HQ is willing to follow the rule of law and accountability in real terms. Non compliance by FBR to avoid timely filing of para-wise comments, ultimately hindered the expeditious disposal of complaints.
Disciplinary action in terms of section 9(3) of the Federal Ombudsman Institutional Reforms Act, 2013 and Contempt proceedings under Section 16 of the FTO Ordinance, 2000 may be initiated against the tax authorities and his sub-ordinate functionaries responsible for this act of severe mal-administration of justice, complainant added.