RAWALPINDI: The owners of private schools have refused to pay the annual professional tax to the excise and taxation office (ETO) Rawalpindi.

The private schools were directed by the ETO office to deposit the professional tax of Rs3,000 per year.

However, a delegation of the All-Pakistan Private School Management Association, headed by its divisional president Abrar Ahmed Khan, on Saturday held a meeting with the ETO, Sohail Majid, and informed him that their institutions did not fall in the category of professional taxpayers.

“We informed the ETO that under the Property Tax Act, the government cannot get professional or commercial tax from the private schools,” said Abrar Khan.

He added that after listening to their complaints, the ETO advised them to contact the higher authorities.

When contacted, ETO said: “Right now I can’t share any information about today’s meeting.” In reply to a question, he said the issue was yet to be decided.

The association said the ETO had been issuing notices to 3,600 private schools in the district to deposit the professional tax.