MATHEMATICS is considered a universal language as everyone can understand it. In some cultures, it is even considered a ‘holy’ language. In mathematics, we have solutions to many of the world’s problems. There is even a solution that can verify the authenticity of a set of numbers. This solution is called the Benford’s Law.

The said law is used by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States and by European Union tax officials to verify the content of tax returns automatically.

The law works in a way that if the original figures of the tax return are replaced with fake ones, it will highlight the error in the whole tax return. However, it cannot highlight where that error is. The tax authorities then have to scrutinise the tax return in detail. The Federal Board of Revenue in Pakistan may also consider having something similar to improve tax collection.

Shahryar Khan Baseer
Peshawar

Published in Dawn, January 21st, 2021