ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) will set up six taxpayers education and facilitation centres across the country to facilitate taxpayers as part of the restructuring of the tax administration.
A senior official in the CBR has told Dawn that the establishment of the centres were aimed at providing education and assistance with regard to compliance with income tax laws to taxpayers; overseeing the development and distribution of free forms and instructions and guidelines for their completion.
It would also make the taxpayers to understand their legal rights and provide them help on technical matters relating to compliance.
The proposed centres would be established one each at Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Islamabad, Peshawar, Quetta, respectively during the current financial year, said the official.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the recent review of tax administration plan had also recommended to the tax authorities to establish facilitation centres for the sales tax related matters.
Elaborating, the official said that the responsibility of the centres would also includes motivation of taxpayers to enter the tax net and to voluntarily pay due taxes.
Its mandate covers the setting of quality standards for service of CBR officers dealing with taxpayers, establishing and managing training programmes to improve service standards and monitoring their effectiveness.
According to the official, the IMF had recommended to the CBR that during the reform period, the newly established taxpayers education and facilitation department at the CBR would simplify all forms and compliance procedures.
Its other functions would also include provision of easily accessible information and assistance and guidance to compliance issues especially in relation to self-assessment; development and implementation of taxpayer education and awareness programmes to facilitate taxpayers’ understanding of their commitments, obligations and penalties in relation to declaration and self- assessment and to motivate taxpayers compliance.
It would also provide easily accessible, supportive and service-oriented assistance and guidance to the taxpayers, added the official.
Furthermore, the Central Board of Revenue has decided to constitute a committee to overview the over all performance of the restructuring of tax machinery.
A senior official in the CBR said that the decision was taken at the recommendation of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to establish the committee to evaluate the performance of the steps so far taken for revamping of the tax administration.
The committee, would coordinate among the different wings to create a cohesion among the different steps so far taken for restructuring aiming at to facilitate the taxpayers.
Following the universal self-assessment scheme from the next financial year, which is totally based on compliance, would require to be followed by a strict audit and effective human management systems.
The committee would, therefore, recommend proposals and suggestions for establishing coordination among these wings for effective implementation of restructuring plan, added the official.