This was stated by RTO Chief Qaisar Ali, while talking to business community during visit to the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) here on Monday. Accompanied with Commissioner Income Tax, Zone-I Shad Mohammad, and CIT Zone-II Shahid Zaman along other officials, he assured that any unnecessary audit of industries and businessmen in the provincial capital would not be carried out.
He also said the department was not going to appeal against any taxpayers. On the occasion, SCCI President Dr Mohammad Sarwar Yousuf, vice presidents Malik Iftikhar Awan, Mohammad Anees Ashraf, Chairman SCCI Standing Committee on Income Tax Haji Mohammad Asif; Chairman of the Chamber Committee on Sales Tax Zahidullah Shinwari, and members of SCCI executive committee were present.
The visiting RTO team and SCCI have agreed to joint work for strengthening Tax-Advisory Committee, while RTO Chief asked the Chamber for giving nominees for the proposed committee. The RTO Chief said the department would take steps for bringing further improvement in the process of sale tax and income tax returns. He informed that the RTO had refunded an amount of Rs 1,596 million collected under the head of sale and income taxes from July 1 to November 30.
Ali said the department had also faced difficulties under the parallel system and issue would be taken up with the Federal Board of Revenue. He informed that more than 50,000 new taxpayers had been brought in the tax net last year, adding the RTO had collected an amount of Rs 20billion against the set target of Rs 9billion. SCCI President Dr Mohammad Yousuf Sarwar, while speaking on the occasion, proposed for exemption of small traders from e-filling of returns and expanding of existing tax-net, because the business community was facing enormous difficulties during the process of e-filling of returns.
He urged the department to abstain from appeal against taxpayers, which caused non-confidence among business community and department concerned. He demanded for abolishment of unnecessary audit, to ensure issuance of National Tax Number (NTN) without 24 hours, exemption of small-traders from e-filling of returns, and expanding of existing tax net. SCCI Chief also raised the issue of issuance of notices regarding sales tax audit to pharmacology and cheat board industries, demanding of the Chief RTO to facilitate and provision of facilities to business community in this regard.
On the occasion, Chairman SCCI Standing Committee on Income Tax, Mohammad Asif asked the RTO to provide maximum facilities to taxpayers, and make the department business friendly in a real sense. He proposed for convening of regularly meeting of Tax - Advisory Committee.
Zahidullah Shinwari, Chairman SCCI Standing Committee on Sales Tax, also raised issues being faced by the business community regarding re-adjustment of withholding tax, non-functional of parallel system, which was causing greater delay in re-funding of deposits, and created other issues of audit-department. He said the RTO should inform the business community regarding amendments in the Income Tax Ordinance.