Dr. Nasir Khan, Chief Commissioner Corporate Tax Office with additional charge of Chief Commissioner Regional Tax Office Islamabad assured that he wants to work with ICCI to address the hardships of taxpayers in order to facilitate them in tax compliance. He said that FBR intends to create a conducive tax environment to enable the businesses to grow as their better growth would help improve the tax revenue of the country. He said this while addressing the business community during his visit to Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Freedoon Akram Shaik Commissioner ICTO, Adnan Inamullah Commissioner Special Zones, Madam Tajjamal Balqees Commissioner Withholding Tax and Said Munaaf Commissioner North accompanied him at the occasion.

Dr. Nasir Khan said that facilitation camps are intended to be set-up in markets in liaison with ICCI and market associations to facilitate the business community in completing and filing of tax returns. He said that ICCI should prepare budget proposals and share them with RTO Islamabad that would be forwarded to FBR for consideration and implementation. He said that there is a need to promote tax culture to improve tax revenue of the country. He said that RTO has launched a drive to register new taxpayers and said that ICCI and market associations should cooperate in this drive to ensure equal distribution of tax burden on all sectors.

Speaking at the occasion, Ahsan Zafar Bakhtawari, President, Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry briefed the Chief Commissioner RTO about the tax issues of the business community and gave useful proposals for broadening the tax base. He said that FBR should introduce incentives schemes for taxpayers in proportion to their tax contribution that would help in promoting tax culture. He said that FBR should provide POS devices at its own cost to businesses that would encourage more businesses to integrate with this system. He said that preference should be to bring new taxpayers into the tax system instead of putting more burden on existing taxpayers. He said that the collection of sales tax through the POS system should be adjusted in the income tax of relevant taxpayers. He also shared proposals for introduction of a fixed tax for small traders, avoiding issuance of notices to businesses and streamlining the audit process.

Engr. Muhammad Azhar ul Islam Zafar, Vice President ICCI said that the business community is aware of the importance of tax payment and FBR should work to promote its soft image in the taxpayers to promote tax culture.

Tariq Sadiq, Zafar Bakhtawari, Mian Muhammad Ramzan, Rizwan Chheena, Maqsood Tabish, Ch. Muhammad Ali, Khalid Chaudhry, Tahir Ayub and others also highlighted various tax issues and gave proposals to simplify the tax system.