KARACHI: The Federal Tax Ombudsman has clarified that the address of Federal Tax Ombudsman dated: 22.11.2021 to the field formation officers of FBR was construed out of context while sharing at different mode of media.

It is clarified that the office of FTO was established through FTO Ordinance 2000 to diagnose, investigate, redress and rectify any injustice done to a person through maladministration by functionaries administering tax law and to provide speedy and cost free redressal of any person’s grievances arising out of corruption or maladministration of tax functionaries of FBR including the following:

i.           Action against the law, rules and regulations

ii.          Arbitrary and discriminatory behavior/conduct

iii.         Administrative excesses or misuse of powers for

iv.         Corrupt or improper motives

v.          Neglect, inattention, delay, incompetence, inefficiency and ineptitude, in the discharge of duties

vi.         Repeated notices, unnecessary calls of attendance and prolonged hearings while deciding the cases

vii.        Willful errors in the determination of refunds, rebates or duty drawbacks

viii.       Deliberately withholding of refunds, rebates or duty drawbacks

ix.          Illegal methods of tax recovery

x.           Avoidance of disciplinary action against an official whose order of assessment or valuation is held by a competent appellate authority to be vindictive, capricious, biased, or patently illegal.

It is once again assured that FTO Secretariat is committed to act strictly in accordance with relevant rules i.e FTO Ordinance, 2000 to achieve its above goals and taking/recommending action against delinquent/corrupt tax officers/officials in accordance with law.