May 24, 2003	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 21,1424

ISLAMABAD, May 23: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has introduced a new income tax return form to be effective from July 1, 2003 under the Universal Self Assessment Scheme (USAS).

A senior official in the CBR told Dawn on Friday that the new return form was designed in such a manner that fulfils the requirements of the new income tax ordinance 2001, which would also come into force from July 1, 2003.

From the next fiscal year all the returns filed by the taxpayers would be declared under USAS and there would be no separate balloting system for it, said the official.

Under the proposed form, the taxpayers are bound to write their NTN numbers in their returns and information regarding their utility bills and other business activities.

The official said that for coming into USAS net, it would be compulsory for all the taxpayers to provide complete information as incomplete forms would not be accepted.

Member Direct Taxes and CBR official spokesman Vakil Ahmad Khan told Dawn that the board had sent the proposed form to the relevant stakeholders to seek their comments, suggestions and proposals to make it more easier.

The stakeholders are expected to send their recommendations within 15 days, which, after vetting, might be made part and parcel of the new return form, Khan said.

He said that it was necessary to work out a comprehensive return form to leave a little space for the tax evaders by collecting maximum information from the taxpayers, which would be ultimately used for the documentation of the economy.