THE Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has introduced a new Electronic Income Tax Return form-2015 for salaried taxpayers. It has been made mandatory for the salaried class to submit this 16-page electronic form by Sept 30, failing which they may face penalties.

It is strange that the FBR has made the procedure of filing tax returns more difficult instead of facilitating taxpayers. In my humble opinion, the tax authorities should revise, improve and reintroduce a simple one-page form for salaried taxpayers.

Most salaried taxpayers do not have the time or the resources to file returns, although income tax is deducted from their salary and other benefits without fail. Of all the taxpayers, members of the armed forces face the most difficulties. They have been facing hazardous conditions since the start of the war on terror.

The income tax of federal and provincial government employees is deducted at source by the respective accounts office. Therefore wouldn’t it save a lot of time and expense, as well as reduce unnecessary paperwork, if these account offices, namely the military accountant general and the accountants general, send a list of employees with the amount of tax deducted to the commissioners of income tax concerned, and allow them to avail themselves of all the benefits of a tax filer?

Lt-Col (r) Javed Ahmad

Multan

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play