LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday set aside “education cess” levied on Lahore Gymkhana and other such clubs for amounting to double taxing.

Various clubs had filed petitions challenging recovery of education cess by the Excise and Taxation Department.

Representing Lahore Gymkhana, Advocate Khwaja Saeeduz Zafar argued that clubs were already paying 16pc sales tax. He said the provincial government had no authority to levy any tax as it was the domain of parliament. Moreover, recovery of the impugned education cess amounted to double taxing.

A provincial law officer argued that the government, exercising its lawful jurisdiction, imposed the cess through the Finance Act.

The court, however, allowed the petitions and voided the education cess declaring it double taxing.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2015