LIKE all responsible citizens, I opened the Federal Bureau of Revenue and National Registration and Database Authority’s portal to see my tax profile.

Although some of the entries such as number of passports (including expired ones), travel history, bank account(s) and Withholding Tax were accessible, I was unable to open tabs pertaining to utilities and properties as data was not loading properly. The government has stipulated a fee of Rs500 to access this portal and yet we are not being provided with relevant information. Will someone look into the matter or was this step taken in haste without proper homework?

Jaffar Naqvi

Sheikhupura

(2)

THE Federal Bureau of Revenue’s website and information portals that supply information regarding the new tax system do not mention the fact that pension is not taxable. This has caused confusion among pensioners who have devoted most of their lives to the selfless service of the nation. In fact, our pension is only the deduction made from one’s salary that is meant to assist the retiree when he no longer draws a salary.

It is not an income in any sense of the word. The retirees who do not have a salary any more generally invest their pensions in National Savings Schemes floated by the government itself thus also helping the ailing national economy. All sums of money drawn from such investments should also be notified as being tax-free.

S. M. Wasti

Karachi

Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2019