ISLAMABAD: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) on Monday said the Federal Board of Revenue’s (FBR) unnecessary representation to the president, challenging its jurisdiction, is creating hindrances for taxpayers in getting their due rights.

FTO Mushtaq Ahmad Sukhera, deciding a complaint against non-issuance of refunds, said FBR officers appear to be adamant in challenging the jurisdiction of ombudsman’s office and raising unnecessary objections.

Although, the FBR has directed its officers to raise objections on jurisdiction in appropriate cases, he said that they continue to submit para-wise comments and unnecessarily raise objections over ombudsman’s jurisdiction.

In hundreds of decisions, the president has held that FBR files unnecessary representations, he added. However, the FBR and tax officers are obstinate to file representations frustrating the taxpayers.

Moreover, he said that president’s decisions were being communicated to the FBR but perhaps officers take no pain to peruse the same.

It has time and again been emphasised that FBR functionaries are required to abide by the mandate of the ordinance/statutes rather than to create difficulties for the taxpayers. Precious time is consumed only to attend FBR’s frivolous objections, the FTO said.

In another recommendation to the FBR, FTO stated that it is settled by the courts that taxpayer’s outstanding money with the FBR is trust money which should be refunded expeditiously, by using good conscience.

Published in Dawn, November 5th, 2019