Out of around 2000 shopkeepers, 50 percent of them, who are doing business transactions in millions on daily basis, are non-filers. Therefore, BTB unit after completing geo-mapping of unregistered shopkeepers issued notices under section 114 of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
Keeping the said situation in view, a delegation of shopkeepers from Shershah Market met chief commission RTO-II Badaruddin Qureshi and commission BTB Abdul Latif. The delegation during meeting confirmed that out of 2000 shopkeepers, 1000 are non-filers and assured their support to FBR officials for bringing them into tax net.
Sources in FBR confirmed that BTB unit, Karachi under the directives of FBR chairman Dr Jahanzeb Khan ordered its field formation to grip the non-filers for broadening of tax base across the city. They said FBR chairman during chief commissioners' conference gave go-ahead to take strict action against non-filers and high net worth individuals and pay no mercy in tax recovery.
They said that field formation had also put unregistered private schools, Montessori's & tuition centres on its radar and added that the crackdown against them would be initiated, shortly. Moreover, they said after scrutinizing the tax record wherein tax had been deducted at source, the department had also identified around 1000 non-filers, having rental income and over 2000 individuals, who purchased expensive property in Karachi during FY-18 and added that these non-filers would soon be issued notices and in case of non-compliance, they would be dealt with an iron fist.