LAHORE: Deputy Commissioner Regional Tax Office, Zone-II, Chaudhary Muhammad Naeem Ahmed has said that the Inland Revenue Services is playing a vital role in progress and prosperity of the country.
During an exclusive interview with Customs Today, the deputy commissioner said that the government was taking every possible step to facilitate and encourage the IRS to work as an earning head, adding that prosperity of the nation depends on economic stability. He said that the District Management Group and police services are important but Inland Revenue Service was the most important and the government should put special focus on this department.
Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Naeem Ahmed said that Inland Revenue Services has brightened the future of Pakistan. Overall, the services is growing day by day because Pakistani society is moving from agrarian side to the industrialist side.
Talking about the working environment, Naeem said that working environment and relationship among officers from top to bottom is very healthy and interactive. Inspite of some problems such as shortage of staff, the officers of the Federal Board of Revenue are achieving their targets as they are more hardworking and committed persons as compared to the other groups.
Talking about the jurisdiction, Chaudhary Naeem said that he collects taxes from the territorial jurisdictions which include Lahore Cantonment, Walton and some area of Gulberg Town. Adding more, Naeem said that the Inland Revenue Services also collects taxes from the wholesalers, distributors and retailers.
He said that most of cases came under his jurisdiction are non-corporate like individuals and Association of Persons (AOP). Few manufacturing units in the area of Kot Lakhpat also come under his control from where he collects taxes.
Talking about the laws applying by him for tax collection, he told that he collected taxes under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 Section 111, 122, 182, 114, 148, 153, 161, 140, 112 (c), Sales Tax Act 1990 under Sections of 11, 24, 38, 48.
He said that 5,800 taxpayers were in his jurisdiction in which 431 cases were related to the broadening of tax base. Out of 140 cases sent for the audit, at least 25 have been resolved.
Answering the question he said that tax collection from the individuals is most difficult task as compared to companies but due to hard working, he always met the targets assigned by the FBR.
For the stock taking, teams of the FBR visit the business point of any taxpayer and monitor the stock and sales, purchase. Naeem said Zone 2, Unit-6 and Unit-7 collected Rs 15 million during the first six months of the financial year 2016-17.
Finally he said that Inland Revenue Services Department collected Rs 20 million under the head of income tax and Rs 22 million as sales tax from July to December 2016-17.