FAISALABAD: The Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) local chapter on Sunday arrested two businessmen on charges of committing million of rupees tax fraud through fake invoices and operating benami bank accounts, registering a case against them.

FBR sources said Mubashar and Ishaq, of Montgomery Bazaar, had been arrested for issuing fake invoices and operating benaami bank accounts. The suspects have been nominated in the FIR No 1/2019.

The sources said the suspects had been operating multiple benami bank accounts, seven of which had been detected so far. Further investigation might lead to detection of more such accounts opened by the suspects, they added.

An FBR officer said after withdrawal of zero-rating facility, the suspects had been issuing fake invoices to different companies in the textile sector. After withdrawal of zero rating every businessman had to pay 17 percent sales tax, he added.

He said it as was being apprehended that illegal practice of issuing fake invoices would flourish after withdrawal of zero rating, the FBR was vigilant to check it.

He claimed that now FBR had properly trained staff capable of detecting such frauds, adding it would show zero-tolerance for such practices.

“We have established a strong monitoring network to keep an eye on the business activities and would stem the practice of issuing fake invoices,” he said, adding the FBR would, however, facilitate ‘genuine businessmen’.

Published in Dawn, October 7th, 2019