The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) will serve notices on around 100 celebrities and prominent personalities including some politicians, persons belonging to showbiz, players and others high net worth individuals. Sources told Business Recorder here on Wednesday that these personalities are living beyond their means and are out of the tax net. The FBR's data has picked these potential celebrities for bringing them into formal regime.
On the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan for launching crackdown against the influential and the rich, tax authorities have selected 100 celebrities/notables who would be served with notices as required under the law. All those notables who are living beyond their means will be brought into tax net in order to create deterrence for effective enforcement.
Tax authorities are committed that the FBR will take action against those who are living luxurious lifestyle but contributing nothing to the national exchequer. However, the FBR has no element of victimisation against political opponents.
Sources said that the names of a few politicians belonging to Karachi, Lahore and Faisalabad have been included into the list of 100 celebrities for sending tax notices.
"The FBR gathered data from third party and other public sector utilities in order to ascertain their life style. The FBR found huge discrepancies having massive difference in declared income and actual income/expenditures," they said. Last week, Prime Minister Imran Khan had directed the FBR for launching a crackdown against celebrities of different segments of the society after gathering solid information in order to create deterrence for effective enforcement.
The FBR's top management conveyed to field formations in clear tone if they would follow the land of the land, they would be backed but in case of violation of law, they would not be protected.
Under the ongoing drive against high net worth individuals, the FBR has dispatched 6,451 notices on the basis of available information of rental income, properties and owning luxury vehicles of over 1800cc.
"Out of 6,451 tax notices, the FBR has so far obtained income tax returns from 2,671 and generated demand of Rs 2.165 billion out of which the recovered tax amount stands at Rs 1.372 billion in the current fiscal year," they said.
The FBR has directed all Regional Taxpayer Offices (RTOs) in all over the country to select 20 biggest cases of their respective jurisdictions and ensured fast track enforcement.
The FBR had informed the PM that the collection of withholding tax decreased in the current fiscal year which was compensated through generation of tax demands and recovery of taxes both in shape of income tax and sales tax during the current fiscal year. The loopholes are being plugged and efforts will be made to go close to the desired revenue target of Rs 4,398 billion, they added.