ISLAMABAD, March 27: Central Board of Revenue Chairman M. Abdullah Yousuf has directed all line members to carry out studies for devising measures to eliminate the chances of excess tax collection from taxpayers.

Officials told Dawn on Friday that the CBR chairman issued this directive in the first meeting of the board-in-council held recently to review the reforms project and problems of the taxpayers.

Mr Yousuf said that the issue of refund was one of the major irritants and the line member should work out all those factors that gave rise to excess tax collection which was later refunded.

He said that the current collection, accounting and reporting system needed improvement to overcome the issue of excess collection of tax from the taxpayers.

According to the chairman, although the CBR was an effective and responsive institution, it was not seen as such by the public, and this misperception needed to be corrected. He admitted that there was a huge communication gap between the taxpayers and tax officials.

The CBR was providing certain services to its clients - the taxpayers, who must be satisfied. The causes of their dissatisfactions, difficulties and impediments must be identified and all such irritants must be removed, he observed.

Mr Yousuf further said that the CBR reform programme must continue unhindered and required full commitment, motivation and drive of all members who constituted CBR's top management.

The CBR chairman directed that income tax and customs probationers' training at the respective directorate generals of training should be completed by December 2004 to enable the probationers to join the IBA Karachi by January 1, 2005.

It was also decided that the board-in-council should meet in the third week of every month, but it could be convened even earlier where any important decisions were to be taken, the officials added.