Tax exemption

The Ministry of Religious Affairs has started receiving hajj applications from Monday (Apr 17). Till the next Wednesday (Apr 26) the ministry will receive the applications. An overwhelming majority of the people are submitting the forms with the hope of having their names in the draw. If a person’s name is called out in the draw, s/he ought to pay the expense of the pilgrimage – around Rs280,000 – by crediting the amount in the bank the application was submitted. This needs the attention of the concerned authorities.

Some people have submitted their forms in a bank in which they do not have an account. In case they are selected, they have to transfer the amount from their bank accounts to the bank where the application was submitted. The other option for applicants is to withdraw the money from their accounts and submit it in the bank. A withholding tax will be imposed on applicants no matter which option they choose. The majority of the people belong to the poor and middle class. Amounts charge on them in form of taxes hurt their ability to make payments. The concerned authorities are requested to exempt the withholding tax levied on the abovementioned transactions.

Suhail Ahmed Shaikh

Larkana