FBR online portal to verify audit, recovery notices

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has launched online verification portal for audit and recovery notices issued by tax departments to check authenticity and to stop corruption and harassment, official sources said.

The FBR on Tuesday launched the online portal to facilitate the taxpayers to authenticate notices issued by tax departments. Earlier, the FBR had launched the online verification only for exemption certificates issued to manufacturers for import of raw material. “The online portal will stop corrupt practices of tax officials and other fraudsters (who issued) fake notices to taxpayers,” an official at the Regional Tax Office (RTO) Karachi said. The FBR online portal has provided verification facilities for notices issued by Inland Revenue and Pakistan Customs.

The board is providing verification services for audit notices, recovery orders, NTN/STRN, Active Taxpayers List, Black Listed Taxpayers (Sales Tax), and computerised payment receipts, etc for Inland Revenue. Further, taxpayers can also authenticate rebate claim status, as well as export general manifest and import general manifest among others. Tax practitioners have lauded the initiative and said it will stop blackmailing and harassment. “It will help in controlling corrupt practices,” Zeeshan Merchant, general secretary, Karachi Tax Bar Association (KTBA), said.

Previously, many fake notices for audit and recovery were issued by officials of the tax departments without informing the FBR and it resulted in ‘settlement’, he added.

He also suggested the FBR that taxpayers should be intimated on their cell numbers and emails when the notices are issued. Merchant further said the FBR should inform the taxpayers about the new facility.