95pc record handed over to JIT: FBR chief

ISLAMABAD: Ruling out possibility of tampering anyone's tax record, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman Dr Mohammad Irshad said that over 95 percent record was handed over to the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) and the missing record was related to those years in which the concerned taxpayers did not file wealth statements.

If the JIT and apex court of the country penalises on the basis of trail of money beyond five years period, it would be definitely challenged in the court of law.

“Yes, it would be challenged in the court if the court decides tax cases beyond five years period,” Special Assistant to PM on Revenues Haroon Akhtar Khan replied to reporters here on Friday.

The JIT constituted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan had obtained records of last three decades, but the tax officials are arguing that tax cases beyond five years period would open up new Pandora Box as it would become precedent and would not curtail only to family members of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.     

However, during the media talk when journalist asked why the JIT was complaining about the FBR for non-cooperation before the SC implementation bench, the FBR chairman replied that the tax machinery has not hidden any record from the JIT.

“We have provided them with tax records since 1982 despite this fact that we are not supposed to go beyond five years period,” he added.

He said that there was one episode when the JIT sought tax record of someone and the FBR provided them after one day. The tax record, he explained, was lying into Commissioner’s office, so it required time to find out record from total pile up files of 1.5 to 2 million.

The tax record from 1982 has been provided to the JIT, and it is incorrect to say that the FBR was not cooperating with the Supreme Court and the JIT, said Dr Mohammad Irshad. He said that had the JIT asked for up to five years old record, it would have been more relevant.

The FBR chairman said that only one taxpayer’s partial record was missing, but he did not belong to the ruling family. 

He also insisted that the FBR did not tamper with the record.

He said only that record has not been provided to the JIT which was not available with the FBR. For instance, there were years when the requirement to file the wealth statement had been abolished. Similarly, the non-resident Pakistanis were also not required to file their income tax returns, said Dr Irshad without mentioning that PM’s sons were abroad, so they were not required to file their returns in those years.

During the proceedings of Panama case, the FBR had submitted certain arguments before the apex court and presented legal framework under Income Tax Ordinance 2001 by stating that provisions regarding status of taxpayers and investigations for tax evasion and concealment of income/assets/expenditures under ITO 2001, resident and non-resident individuals are treated differently in terms of their tax chargeability.