ICCI calls for slashing tax on rental income to 10 percent in next budget
- May 28, 2020
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has called upon the government to cut high taxes
on rental income to 10 percent in the forthcoming budget that would facilitate
the growth of business activities and improve tax revenue of the government as
well. He said that up to 35 percent tax on rental income has increased rents of
offices manifold due to which many companies were facing great problems. He
said that due to the coronavirus issue and lockdown, many business companies
were facing severe difficulties in paying their rents.
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that with the imposition of 35% tax on rental
income, Islamabad has also become a very expensive city. Therefore, there was a
need to reduce this tax appropriately, which would reduce the hardships of
companies and the people. He demanded that government should review the tax
on rental income tax in the next budget and bring it down to 10 percent final tax,
which will significantly reduce rents, reduce problems of business community,
improve business activities and enhance tax revenue of the government.
Mohammad Ahmad Waheed said that previous 10 percent uniform tax was
levied rental income as final liability which was affordable for tenants and
improved tax revenue of the government. But later on 8 slabs of this tax were
introduced increasing maximum tax to 35 percent which not only increased the
rent for companies unnecessarily and also increased the difficulties of the
business class and encouraged tax evasion as well. Therefore, he demanded that
in the next budget, government should rationalize this tax by introducing a
uniform tax of 10 percent on rental income as final liability, which would reduce
rents, speed up business activities and increase tax revenue as more people will
come into the tax net.