PRA summons DJ Butt in tax evasion case

LAHORE

Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) has summoned PTI's public meeting fame DJ Butt for non-payment of taxes to the provincial exchequer after the Commissioner Appeals has settled the application for revision of taxes.

According to a notice served on the DJ Butt – who became popular after provision of the sound system and lights in Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) over a month-long Islamabad Dharna in 2014 – to appear  before the PRA on 24th of March, 2017. He was asked to attend the hearing of his case to Additional Commissioner Enforcement Shahzad Mehmood Gondal as the PRA had provided him the opportunity to plead his case. However, in case of failing to appear for hearing the case of tax evasion against DJ Butt would be decided ex parte on the basis of the evidences available with the PRA.

The PRA has first served the tax notices on the DJ Butt when he appeared on the media and claimed that the PTI did not pay his dues of the services rendered to the party rallies and functions, including the Islamabad longest ever sit-in in the history of the country. As per Punjab Sales Tax on Services Act 2012, DJ Butt is liable to pay 16 percent of revenue earned through his event management services. DJ Butt was served the notice regarding revenue earned from event management services during the period of August, 2014 to June, 2015.

According to that notice, the DJ Butt is liable to pay Rs17.596 million to provincial exchequer on GST on services. Additionally, another Rs2,314,640 was imposed as default surcharge on it. Thus, the DJ Butt is liable to pay Rs19.911 million to the PRA.

Earlier, the DJ Butt through his council Barrister Ahmed Pansota has appealed to the PRA about the non-provision of the details on which the tax was levied. Commissioner Appeals Abdul Jawad after hearing the complement appeal ordered that the required information should be given to DJ Butt. Besides, instructing the DJ Butt to cooperate with the Additional Commissioner concerned of the PRA in provision of all necessary record and documents and verification of the evidences.

An official of the PRA said that no tax revision was made by the commissioner appeals while just instructed both the officials concerned of the PRA for provision of the required information under the rules and regulations and DJ Butt to cooperate with the tax proceeding in verification of the evidences. He said that if the DJ Butt or his council would not appear before the Additional Commissioner Enforcement Shahzad Mehmood Gondal on 24th of March DJ Butt (Muhammad Asif) arrest orders would be made as on the basis of ex parte decision.