ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has collected Rs 972 billion as tax during the last seven months, Minister for Finance Dr Hafeez Shaikh Thursday told the National Assembly.

Responding to calling attention notice, he said 26 per cent more tax has been collected as compared to previous year. The tax collection has been increased due to bold decisions, prudent measures and introduction of reforms in the tax collected system, he said.

FBR has collected Rs 1558 billion during the last financial year as tax which was 17 per cent more as compared to the corresponding period of the year 2009-10.

It has been decided that the filing of income tax returns would be made mandatory for all National Tax Number (NTN) holders from the new financial year, he said

In the year 2009-10 only 15.8 million people had filed income tax returns. Likewise, in the year 2010-11, only 13.8 million had filed the tax returns out of 3.3 million registered tax payers, he said.

Responding to a question he said there are 700,000 potential income tax payers in the country who have yet to pay income tax. The government has decided to collect income tax from them.

Notices have already been issued to 300,000 potential tax payers. Others are being pursued to collect taxes from them, he said.