KARACHI, July 28: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) would introduce a composite audit system for sales tax, income tax, customs duty and federal excise duty within a year.

After the introduction of the new system, the taxpayers would not have to visit tax offices because the entire process, starting from e-filing of returns to composite audit, etc., would be carried out on computers.

This was stated by the Director-General of Regional Tax Office, Asrar Raouf, while speaking at a seminar on e-filing of sales tax-cum-federal excise returns, organised by the Income Tax Bar Association Karachi at RTO building on Monday.

Mr Raouf said around 15 to 16 questions with regard to e-filing of sales tax and FED were put up before the member sales tax, for which an immediate solution was found and their notifications are on their way.

He also advised the tax-payers to acquaint themselves with the e-filing of tax returns.

Sales Tax Collector Iftikhar Qutab, who presided over the seminar, disclosed that the FBR would soon introduce tele-filing which would have no data, and a simple telephone call or an SMS would be taken as an acknowledgement. He said this system is yet to be introduced even in advanced countries.

All these measures, he said, were being taken to facilitate taxpayers and reduce their interaction with tax collectors.

Referring to the points raised by the All-Pakistan Tax Bar Association (APTBA) president Naveed A Andrabi, he said that the FBR had already assured not to use Section 52-A5 which holds intermediary responsible for any wrong statement in tax returns filed through them by a taxpayer.

He also brushed aside other apprehensions pertaining to last date for e-filing of sales tax and FED set by the FBR which is Aug 15.

The collector said that the FBR had been asked to allow extension as it would be for the first time that returns of sales tax and FED would be e-filed and it might require some time for taxpayers to learn the process.

Mr Qutab assured the tax consultants that all issues and problems faced in the e-filing of returns would be resolved.

He was critical about malpractices being done by taxpayers with the convenience of revenue collecting staff.

He said that the FBR had detected cases where multiple refund claims have been filed and cited that in one case, a genuine refund claim was made of Rs632,000, but simultaneously another claim of Rs4.2 million in the name of same taxpayer was also filed and ultimately both were collected by a bogus taxpayer.

Earlier, Pakistan Revenue Automation Ltd officials explained the method of e-enrollment and e-filing of sales tax and FED.

It was emphasised that e-filing of returns is based on annex which allows taxpayer to work freely to file his return.

Similarly, there is a pin code and password which are to be kept secret.

It was also explained that only once a taxpayer would have to get himself e-enrolled and this was only to get his profile.