KARACHI, Sept 26: Confusion over jurisdiction and powers of tax officers is likely to hurt revenue collection as Sept 30 deadline for filing income tax returns is drawing closer.
Tax consultants and individual taxpayers visiting the three Regional Tax Offices (RTOs) have to run from pillar to post to search for their respective units, zones and to find out the relevant officer and staff for submitting tax documents.
Qazi Anwar Kamal, a tax consultant, said there had been frequent changes in jurisdictions of units and zones which have created a lot of problem for taxpayers.
“I must say there is hardly any sort of working environment in the three RTOs because officers and staff members are themselves upset and confused over jurisdictions and this will definitely hurt revenue collection at a time when annual income tax returns are being filed by a large number of taxpayers,” he maintained.
In the absence of fixed jurisdiction of units, he said, the assessing officers (Inland Revenue) could not perform and similarly commissioner of each zone under which three to six units operate are also left with no proper area to exercise their powers.
At times it has been observed, he said, that an officer is given multiple units to look after, which further complicates the situation because it is difficult enough to take responsibility of a single unit.
Another tax consultant Imran Ahmed Khan told Dawn that presently the tax collecting machinery is under disarray because most of the units are not aware of their jurisdictions which confuse both taxpayers and tax collectors.
He further said that delay in notifying tax returns by the FBR is another irritant which is disturbing tax consultants and taxpayers.
Initially it was not possible to file tax returns electronically as the auto-computation system on FBR’s website was not working and started operating in the last two weeks.
Khan was critical of the tax return forms and said it is cumbersome and difficult to fill these forms as they seek unnecessary information, including information of break-up of expenses and other details.
Rehan Jaffery, a tax expert said that presently taxpayers are facing numerous difficulties in filing of tax returns due to frequent power outages and poor law and order situation in the city.
He said that many tax consultants and taxpayers have already or are going to proceed to perform Hajj.
He said that scanners at the counters of tax facilitation department of RTOs are not working as a result important tax documents submitted by taxpayers could not get a reference number. Therefore, the authenticity of documents without scanning is challenged by tax officials, he added.
Jaffery further said that registration with sales tax department is cumbersome and takes a long time which deprives the national exchequer from much needed revenue.
In short, he said, FBR’s repeated commitment towards reforms and facilitation is not working. Instead taxpayers are confronted with more and more difficulties.