Federal Board of Revenue Pakistan has issued a notification. As per this notification, FBR has further extended the date of filing sales tax return and payment of sales tax for the month of March 2020.

FBR has extended the due date for payment of Sales Tax and Federal Excise Duty for the month of March 2020 up to May 27, 2020. These were due on April 15, 2020, but the date was previously extended till May 12, 2020.

Also, filing of the Sales Tax Return for the month of March 2020 which was due on April 18, 2020, has been further extended up to May 30 2020. The date for filing was previously extended up to May 15, 2020

16 May 2020

In order to ensure ease of doing business, the Federal Board of Revenue Pakistan has been advised by the business community to shun the conduction of multiple audits of the taxpayer in a year.

The Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), in its proposals for budget 2020/2021 submitted to the Federal Board of Revenue Pakistan said that registered taxpayers receive notices of multiple audits in a year such as Income Tax audit under Section 177 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, Withholding Tax audit under Section 161 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001; Sales Tax audit under Section 25 of the Sales Tax Act 1990.

Also, multiple notices of amendments in assessments under Section 122 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 and under Section 111 of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001 are received by the taxpayers for providing the explanation of sources.

This requirement of multiple audits create unease to doing business and also, un-necessary problems are created for the taxpayers.

It has been recommended by the FPCCI that the concept of multiple audits should be done away with and there should be provided an alternate concept of a composite audit of registered taxpayers.

It has also been suggested by the FPCCI that after being consulted with all stakeholders, new audit parameters should be enforced.

15 May 2020

The Federal Board of Revenue Pakistan previously advised all the Inland Revenue Service (IRS) and Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) of BS-18 to submit the assets declaration. Click Here. It was said by the FBR that actions would be taken against the officers failing to submit asset declaration.

Now, the Federal Board of Revenue Pakistan has issued a list such BS-18 officers of Inland Revenue Services (IRS) and Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) who failed to submit their asset declaration.

BS-18 officers of Inland Revenue Service (IRS):

1. Muhammad Tahir Khan, Additional Commissioner IR, RTO, Sialkot (OPS)
2. Muhammad Asfandyar Janjua, Additional Commissioner IR, RTO-II, Karachi.
3. Sadia Ali Akram, Additional Commissioner IR, CRTO, Karachi.
4. Muhammad Ali Khan, Secretary, FBR.
5. Amara Sarwar, Additional Commissioner IR, CRTO, Lahore.
6. Neelam Ifzal, on deputation to PRA, Lahore.
7. Inayat Malik, Additional Commissioner IR, LTU, Islamabad
8. Laiq Zaman, Additional Commissioner IR, LTU-II, Karachi
9. Naseebullah, on deputation to BRA, Quetta
10. Naseer Ahmad, Additional Commissioner IR, CRTO, Karachi
11. Muhamamd Masood Ahmad Gorsi, Additional Commissioner IR, CRTO, Karachi
12. Sadia Iftekhar, Secretary, FBR, Islamabad
13. Tarique Aziz, Deputy Commissioner IR, CRTO, Karachi.
14. Nasir Khan, Deputy Commissioner IR, RTO-II, Karachi.

BS-18 officers of Pakistan Customs Service (PCS):

1. Jamshed Ali Talpur, Secretary, FBR
2. Imran Rasool Khan, Deputy Collector, MCC Hyderabad
3. Rana Irfan Shaukat, Deputy Director, Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation- FBR, Multan
4. Saad Ata Rabbani, Deputy Director, Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation, FBR, Karachi.
5. Wajid Zaman, Deputy Director, Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation, FBR, Islamabad.
6. Ihsanullah Shah, Deputy Collector, MCC Gwadar
7. Ammara Durrani, Deputy Collector, MCC (JIAP), Karachi.

14 May 2020

Further relaxation has been provided by the State bank of Pakistan to the refinance scheme. This is done so to support workers at large scale from a layoff due to the pandemic situation of Covid-19.

SBP has been receiving feedback from various stakeholders, for making the scheme more facilitative for businesses and creating incentives for employees, since the launch of the refinance scheme called Rozgaar scheme.

To ensure the benefits of the scheme to SMEs that offer large scale employment, many of the changes have been carried out in the scheme.

For this purpose, Government risk-sharing facility and allowing corporate guarantees as collateral are expected to incentivize the banks in extending loans.

SBP has now decided to enhance its refinance limits to facilitate medium and large businesses.

Hence, State Bank will now be financing up to 100 percent of wages and salaries of businesses with an average 3-month wage bill of up to Rs500 million.

These can be used for the wages to be paid for the months of April, May, and June 2020.

Before the enhancement in the scheme, 100% financing was only allowed to a wage bill of up to 200 million rupees.

Similarly, for businesses with a 3-month wage bill exceeding Rs500 million, State Bank will now finance of up to 75 percent with maximum financing of Rs1 billion.

Earlier, 75 percent of financing was available up to a maximum of Rs375 million and 50 percent up to a maximum of Rs500 million.

These changes shall be applicable with an immediate effect.

Further financing can be availed by such businesses that were financed at the previous lower limit.

Old and new financing limits can be compared by the following table:

The increased financing limits in relation to Government’s risk-sharing facility for collateral deficient SMEs and small corporates will be enabling all of the businesses to benefit from this Rozgaar Scheme of SBP and this will be preventing the large scale layoffs.

Also, this refinance scheme has been extended to non-deposit taking financial institutes.

Requests from 1440 businesses for the financing over Rs.103 billion have been received by the banks since the launch of this facility from May 8. 2020.

500 companies covering 450,000 employees have been provided with the financing of Rs.47 billion.

A complete list of the measures taken by the SBP to support the economy and public health since the outbreak of COVID-19 is available at http://www.sbp.org.pk/corona.asp.

13 May 2020