KARACHI: Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has said that corruption had peaked in the country and recommended large scale reforms in the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
Talking to business community at Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) House on Tuesday, FTO Dr. Shoib Saddal said that until and unless the ministers, advisors and quarters involved in government were made to pay taxes honestly, the situation would not improve.
Saddal said that FBR was tampering in the numbers of revenue collection adding that tax authorities should practically widen the tax net and portray true figures instead of just claiming achieving targets.
He said that FBR should not include the refunds in their total collection as it was not the revenue.
Javed Bilwani, Chairman Pakistan Apparel Forum, speaking on the occasion said that Regional Tax Offices (TROs) were harassing the taxpayers in the name of scrutiny and audit and demanding the records/documents, which were already submitted with them along with returns.
Bilwani said that exporters should not be intentionally harassed and added that the records of sales tax on services, which Sindh Board of Revenue was collecting from exporters, had not bee forwarded to the FBR.
He demanded that the said records should immediately be moved to FBR, so that exporters could claim their due refunds.