ICCI urges FBR to allow adjustment of payable taxes against refund claims
- June 08, 2020
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed, President, Islamabad Chamber
of Commerce & Industry has called upon the FBR to allow business community to
adjust their payable taxes against their refunds claims that would greatly
facilitate them in overcoming liquidity issues and promoting business activities.
He said that billions of rupees of business community were held up with FBR in
the form of refunds claims of sales tax, income tax and duty drawbacks and
allowing adjustment of payable taxes including customs duties and sales tax
against refunds claims would be a win-win arrangement, both for the
government and for the business community. It would address the liquidity
issues of businessmen and save the funds of government allocated for payment
of refunds. He said that allowing adjustment of payable taxes against refunds
would also help businesses in improving inventories and promoting exports.
Muhammad Ahmed Waheed said that FBR was reportedly preparing to start the
payment of income tax refunds directly to the bank accounts of those taxpayers
who have provided their IBAN, which was appreciable as these refunds were
held up with FBR since 2014. However, he said that allowing businesses to adjust
their payable taxes against these refunds would be a win-win situation for both
sides.
ICCI President said that finance division has reportedly released an amount of
Rs.10 billion to FBR for payment of income tax refunds while FBR was issuing
cumulative refunds of up to Rs.5 million. However, he stressed that Ministry of
Finance should release more funds to FBR to clear maximum income tax refunds
that would improve the liquidity position of businesses and enable them to play
better role in the economic revival of the country.
He said that under the Prime Minister’s relief package, an amount of Rs.100
billion was allocated for the payment of refund claims under sales tax, income
tax and duty drawback to reduce the impact of Covid-19 on businesses.
Therefore, he urged that FBR should remove the ceiling of paying up to Rs.5
million as income tax refunds and pay more refunds or allow businessmen
adjustment of their payable taxes against refunds claims that would lessen the
liquidity issues of business community and help them come out of the difficult
times to revive the business activities in the country.