ISLAMABAD, June 16: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has decided to constitute a task force in each collectorate for speedy recovery of sales tax from the non-filers across the country.

Official sources in the CBR told Dawn on Wednesday that a software has already been developed in this regard and provided to the collectorate for determination of minimum tax liability of non-filers.

According to the officials, the drive was aimed at bringing into sales tax net the potential taxpayers, who were not filing their returns with the sales tax department. The task force, to be headed by deputy/assistant collector of the assessment and processing division, should be established in each collectorate, which should actively pursue the cases of non- filers.

The task force, the officials said, would also follow up for maximum recovery of sales tax from the non-filers. Each collectorate will also be given targets for maximum recovery from the non-filers, added the officials.

The government has already introduced amendments in the Sales Tax Act, 1990 empowering sales tax officer to determine minimum tax liability of a registered persons in case of non- filers.

The amendment introduced in the Sales Tax Act, 1990 reads as "Notwithstanding anything in sub-section (1), where a registered person fails to file a return, an officer of sales tax department, not below the rank of assistant collector, shall, subject to such conditions as specified by the Central Board of Revenue, determine the minimum tax liability of the registered person"

According to other amendments in the act, a new section had been introduced to empower the board to post a sales tax officer in the premises of the registered persons or class of such persons to monitor production, sales of taxable goods and the stock position.

Officials said that government has already announced major incentives in the budget for the taxpayers by abolishing the three high slabs of sales tax - 23, 20 and 18 and only introduced the standard rate of 15 per cent.

The government has also abolished the further tax of 3 per cent chargeable on the supply to un- registered persons and raising the limit for the retail sector up to Rs5 million per annum.

With these incentives, they said that the CBR expected major compliance from the taxpayers. But they said that in case of any tax evasion necessary action would be taken against the evaders.