January 9, 2003	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 5, 1423

ISLAMABAD, Jan 8: The tax authorities will soon launch a country-wide drive to register afresh potential taxpayers and re-register existing taxpayers with the sales tax department under the new proposed registration and de-registration rules.

Official sources told Dawn on Wednesday the new registration was aimed at achieving a comprehensive and updated database of all the registered persons enabling better and meaningful implementation of tax policies.

The proposed draft, new registration and de-registration rules, are expected to be finalized by January 15, 2003, which were earlier scheduled to be finalized by December 25, 2002.

The sources said that all suggestions and comments received before January 15 would be incorporated in the final rules before they were announced.

Explaining the purpose of new rules, the officials said that the new rules were a step forward to automate tax procedures, which would not only facilitate the ordinary taxpayers but would also eliminate the unscrupulous elements involved in fraudulent tax activities.

Under the new registration rules, the officials said, a single application form had been devised for any category of registration, wherein the applicant had to provide certain information and produce copies of relevant documents to substantiate his bona fides and credentials.

Registration certificate would be issued to the applicant after due verification/inquiry, the officials said and added the tax officers verifying the particulars/ credentials of the applicant had been made responsible and accountable for correctly verifying the particulars.

They said in order to curb the practice of impersonation or fake representation, original National Identity Card of the owner and authorized representative was to be produced before the assistant collector.

Similarly, income tax return or assessment order for the previous year or a certificate issued by the bank of the applicant or by the president of chamber/respective trade association or group was to be furnished to substantiate the bona fides of the applicant.

According to the officials, a large number of persons were registered under the Sales Tax Act 1990 during the last few years.