ISLAMABAD: As part of broadening the tax base, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has set up 145 District Tax Offices (DTOs) across the country.

These offices are tasked with incorporating 1.5 to two million new taxpayers into the tax net by June 2024, marking a substantial stride in expanding the country’s narrow taxpayers’ base.

Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar has stressed the importance of revenue and increasing the existing number of tax filers during recent meetings with FBR higher-ups.

On Friday, the FBR notified the establishment of these offices, a new initiative that will help broaden the tax base and ultimately raise the tax-to-GDP ratio to a desired level.

These offices would be headed by District Tax Officers (DTOs) entrusted with the responsibility of enforcing income tax returns from non-filers and stop-filers.

An official announcement said the establishment of these offices would expand the tax net to fill a critical gap on the path to bringing all potential taxpayers into the tax net.

The DTOs are set to harness third-party data, sourced from various departments and agencies. This data contains pivotal information about asset investments and substantial expenditures made by potential taxpayers who have, until now, evaded the taxation system, including the registration and filing of tax returns.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2023