Tax filers number increases to 1.4m

The Newspaper's Staff Reporter Published December 17, 2018

Minister says government has launched operation against some 3,500 non-filers. — File photo

LAHORE: The number of tax returns filers has surged up to 1.4m compared to 1.1m last year as the last date for filing the returns ends today (Monday).

This was stated by Minister of State for Revenue Hammad Azhar while speaking at a news conference at DGPR office on Sunday.

The minister said the government had launched operation against some 3,500 non-filers and collected data of 20,000 more people who had purchased vehicles worth over Rs10m or property worth over Rs20m in a year.

Take a look: Restricting non-filers from buying cars and property isn't sound policy. It's only good optics

“A case has also been detected where a person had purchased property of over Rs1bn and yet did not file tax return,” he stated.

Mr Azhar stressed the people should not transfer money through Hawala and Hundi and added that the government was set to launch crackdown on this menace.

Acknowledging that the current taxation system was cumbersome, Mr Azhar said the PTI government would amend the law to facilitate the tax returns filers by the mid of next year. He said the government would also develop a mobile application offering tax laws in Urdu.

Stating that Prime Minister Imran Khan had been briefed about the reforms in the taxation system and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), the minister said harmony would be brought between FBR and provinces. He said the FBR would no more be harassing the traders’ community and instead offer business-friendly environment in the days to come.

Hammad Azhar said the government would launch an online directory of tax returns filers, including the parliamentarians.

Answering a question, he said, the government was not showing leniency in the case of Aleema Khan, sister of PM Imran Khan, and added that there was no pressure from the prime minister.

The state minister said Rs110bn mobile phones were being smuggled out of total Rs190bn cell phone market in Pakistan. He said the government had consulted the big and small traders before giving a policy to block non-duty paid mobile phones, which were not registered before Dec 1.

“The new regime of registration of cell phones will end the problem of cell phone smuggling,” he said and added that it was a $1.5bn market.

Answering a question, he said the government had currently allowed overseas Pakistanis to bring one duty-free cell phone.

“Consultations are on to allow the overseas Pakistanis to either bring two duty-free cell phones or pay minimum duty on the second cell phone,” he said

Published in Dawn, December 17th, 2018

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Dec 17, 2018 09:02am

Not a single duty free be allowed. In garb of one this smuggling from foreign countries will continue as it is now.

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Kamal

Dec 17, 2018 09:03am

Just 1.4 million. It's equal to saying that nobody is paying taxes in Pakistan!

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ali

Dec 17, 2018 09:13am

In 100 days tax bracket doubles. Congrats to PM IK, the government, and the nation. Still way to go

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Faraz

Dec 17, 2018 09:17am

Pretty boy Hammad Azhar should thank PML N for increasing filers. As for the case of cell phone duty, mobile shops have closed in droves and cell phones are off the shelf because they have become useless. A lot of people have lost jobs. What is Imran Welfare State Khan thinking by imposing 38% tax on phone? No one in the world does this. These jobless people will now be snatching cell phones at gunpoint. And whatever tax revenue IK raises will be given to these jobless people to remain jobless and strengthen IKs vote bank for the next ten years. Typical socialist mentality, punish the hard working. They don't understand that its the hard working businessmen that create jobs, and if you tax them they wont be able to create jobs and expand their businesses.

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M Mirza

Dec 17, 2018 09:19am

Folks , make it easy to file Income Tax returns. For common people it form should not be more than one page long. Complicated things like stocks and bonds, businesses etc should be on Annexe.s Just copy from USA or Canada.

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Arshad

Dec 17, 2018 09:50am

I bet, not a single non-filer MNA/MPA is in this list of 3500 people.

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Dec 17, 2018 09:59am

First time in my life, I get a sense that we finally have a government which is taking very positive steps in terms of good governance with service to the country as its objective. Tax filers will continue to increase many fold over the next one year and if fair banking related consumer protection policies are adopted as promised, the remittances will double through banking channels so we can be well on our way towards fully documented economy.

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Danish

Dec 17, 2018 10:05am

How about tax on Agriculture sector who don't pay a single Rs.and , small traders like market traders Nan shops sweet shops food shops etc people who hold several properties but hardly pay tax only Gov and private sector employees pay taxes rest are all tax free.

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hassan

Dec 17, 2018 11:33am

@Danish, they are making peanuts.... plus they do pay indirect tax i.e. GST Its better to tax luxury items...

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Sahmad

Dec 17, 2018 11:33am

Please tell us increase in filers translate to how much increase in revenue.

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Mairaj

Dec 17, 2018 11:58am

The process of filling tax return online is a bit difficult for the ordinary people. A simple salaried person normally paying 3000 to 5000 to file the return. Government/ FBR should make the online submission simple by asking few details as it is in Western world.

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beiging

Dec 17, 2018 12:19pm

Last year it was 1.7 million how 1.4 million is increase

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Hari

Dec 17, 2018 12:28pm

Good news

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Gul Faraz UAE

Dec 17, 2018 12:30pm

Nine million-plus Pakistanis abroad who send billions of dollars back home every year. in lieu of this what overseas Pakistani getting in Pakistan are ZERO, I want to high light that we have problem in our foreign exchange account, if we withdraw from one foreign currency say Euro 5000 and spent 3500 and left over is Euro 1500 if want to deposit back to my account the bank are not depositing this cash and asking you are not tax filer, I have not understand this PTI Govt and Asad Umder policy. will Ministry of Finance will explain and clear about this left over cash either they want deposit or take back to UK, in that case wrong policy of Govt Pakistan is losing foreign exchange.

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Farooq Saeed Khan UK

Dec 17, 2018 12:35pm

Will Minister will explain that dual citizen holding foreign currencies account holder are to file tax return in Pak, how overseas Pakistan handle their account banks asking filer. whereas non resident Pakistan are not living in Pakistan only sending foreign exchange to Pakistan. They are in trouble.

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J Kakakhel

Dec 17, 2018 12:45pm

One duty free phone in a year from abroad is more than enough. No one changes their phone every six months, and if they do that means they have plenty of money so they can pay tax on it. The government should be be more strict in collecting taxes because our people just want a good life and do not want to pay taxes for it.

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enam

Dec 17, 2018 12:50pm

Number is so poor; its should be 10m; nobody is paying tax

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Khurram

Dec 17, 2018 01:02pm

1.4million tax filers. What a joke. Also tell, how many actually paid anything out of these 1.4million filters?

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jamal

Dec 17, 2018 01:16pm

Just read yesterday that about 200,000 previous filers did not file for the year 2018.

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Ali

Dec 17, 2018 01:23pm

Not a significant increase.

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Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad

Dec 17, 2018 01:40pm

Only 1.4 million tax payers out of a total population of about 225 million in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. What a mind-boggling and soul-searching tragedy?

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Balachandran D

Dec 17, 2018 02:27pm

What is the percentage of 1.4 million in the population of 200 millions

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Girish

Dec 17, 2018 02:38pm

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, Have you filed your returns?

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Asad

Dec 17, 2018 03:23pm

Country's population ~ 180M while country's Tax filers ~ 1.4M Is this correct or did I misread the number of tax filers?

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Pakamat

Dec 17, 2018 05:01pm

@Balachandran D, 0.7% but that is assuming that everyone is earning a wage.

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khanm

Dec 17, 2018 05:11pm

Tax filers number increases to 1.4m ... do we need to know the numbers or we need to see the revenue increased.. folks..The taxes you owe to the government are generally paid through withholding (money is taken out of your paycheck), estimated tax payments, and payments made when you file your taxes each year. You may not have to file a federal income tax return if your income is below a certain amount. looking at the filers number it shows a very grim picture of our TAX system... the irony is the there is no agriculture tax of any kind, all our feudal live a luxurious life, and a commoner who earns a meager amount pay taxes. in this country, we have three major problems...Death, taxes, and childbirth.. a sad story from a womb to a tomb and in between TAX

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Pakamat

Dec 17, 2018 07:01pm

It is important to note that according to SBP statistics there are 62 million employed people out of 124 million people of employable age (15-64) so that works out at around 50%. With the plethora of indirect taxes that everyone pays, I think the figure that is trumped out every year that less than 1% of Pakistanis pay any taxes is misleading.

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Syed Shah

Dec 17, 2018 07:01pm

Make one bold move, charge tax free rates from filers when they come to get fuel pumps, display it and propegate it, and you will see the number of tax filers will sky rocket.

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Perspective

Dec 17, 2018 10:22pm

@J Kakakhel, "One duty free phone in a year from abroad is more than enough. No one changes their phone every six months, and if they do that means they have plenty of money so they can pay tax on it." People bring two phones because one has US SIM and one has Pakistani SIM. Please note Pakistani exats bring as much dollars to Pakistan as Pakistani exporters and you still want to nickle and dime them even as you coddle the exporters?

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kamal

Dec 18, 2018 03:12am

@Dr. Salaria, Aamir Ahmad, Will you please tell how much money you made and how much taxes you have paid in the last year?

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parveez shafi

Dec 18, 2018 02:31pm

As a overseas pakistani can not open a bank account in pakistan. How am I to keep my money. I sent via Habib bank from London. That was a mission on its own. Why everything is made difficult for us. My family comes every year and spend tens of thousands of pounds, yet we get no help. One should find out the problems we face and make things easy.

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Pakamat

Dec 18, 2018 04:05pm

Those asking for personal income and tax details of commentators here need to understand that such details are private and only provided by our parliamentarians who are public servants. From statements of assets uploaded by ECP it was revealed that the most tax paid last year was by Jahangir Tareen (Rs. 53,677,426). Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in comparison while holding the largest assets among this group with a total worth of Rs 1.54 billion and paid Rs 4.19 million in tax.

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