09 January 2005	Sunday	27 Ziqa'ad 1425

ISLAMABAD, Jan 8: The tax authorities have received around 12,807 companies returns/statement for the tax year 2004 as against 10,270 corporate returns filed during the last year, showing an increase of 24.7 per cent.

Officials in the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) told Dawn on Saturday that along the massive growth in the filing of corporate returns mostly from the private companies, the revenue payment with the returns has also stood at Rs10.211 billion this year.

Of 12,807 companies returns/ statements filed by December 31, 2004 with the income tax departments, around 12,073 returns/ statements were filed by the private companies across the country and only 734 returns/statements filed by the public companies.

Further break-up showed that of 734 returns/statements filed by the public companies, 508 companies were listed on the registered stock exchanges of the country, while the remaining 226 companies were not registered on stock exchanges.

The total number of companies registered with Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under the companies' ordinance 1984 stood at 45,000, while the total number of National Tax Numbers (NTNs) issued to these companies so far stood at 22,000.

The CBR had already constituted a committee to work with the SECP officials to identify those non-filers who were registered with the SECP but they did not file their returns with the income tax department.

The region wise analysis of filing of corporate returns/statements showed that the northern region received 56 returns/statements from the public companies and 2232 returns/statements from the private companies by December 31, 2004. The total payment of tax with returns received at this region stood at Rs4.125 billion.

The number of private companies returns/statements filed at eastern region stood at 3607 returns/statements while that of the public companies stood at 195 returns/statements. The amount paid with returns at this region stood at Rs311.234 million. The central region received as many as 1124 returns/statements from the private companies and 12 statements/returns from the public companies. The amount paid with the returns at these regions stood at Rs36.565 million.

The southern region received 148 returns/statements from the private companies along with 3 returns/statements from the public companies. The amount paid with returns at this region stood at Rs16.458 million. The corporate region received 4808 returns/statements from the private companies and 232 returns/statements from the public companies. The amount deposited with the returns stood at Rs429.133 million at the region.

The Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU), Karachi received 147 returns/statements from the public companies and 277 returns/statements from the private companies. The amount paid with the returns at LTU, Karachi stood at Rs4.694 billion.

And the LTU Lahore received 89 returns/statements from the public companies and 88 returns/statements from the private companies. The amount paid with returns at LTU, Lahore stood at Rs600.166 million.