‘Oil tanker owners to be taxed’

LAHORE Punjab Revenue Authority (PRA) chairman Dr Rahil Siddique has said all four provincial tax bodies are on board to tax oil tanker owners and chalking out the way out to bring them in tax net. 

They blackmail the federal government through strikes which halt the country at standstill. Unanimous solution is almost sought to collect tax from them, he said in a briefing to Lahore Economic Journalist Association at PRA office on Thursday. 

Dr Rahil was of the view that now strikes will not work and in modern era everyone has to pay taxes for which they can sit and talk with the tax authorities to resolve the issues and concerns. He said PRA has been creating tax awareness among the masses besides expanding the tax net. 

“For tax education, with the efforts of the PRA and Punjab government support, first time ever tax chapter is added to the 8th grade textbook. Furthermore, the PRA has also started tax clinics. In tax clinics different sectors’ people are invited and trained them how to file the tax returns. Additionally, infusion of technology and development of IT infrastructure in the respective sectors was also educated, he said, adding these steps help the tax filers to pay taxes easily.

The PRA chairman believed that majority of people want to pay taxes but they were unable to file taxes.  On a question of court petition on legality of provincial revenue authorities, Dr Rahil said habitual tax evaders are behind this malicious campaign. However, they will be defeated while the PRA already accumulating their tax incidences.