‘Taxation laws complicated’

LAHORE: Taxation laws in the country are not only very complicated but also contradict each other. Business people and industrialists are facing tremendous difficulties due to such complications and contradictions.

This was stated by Haroon Khawaja, Chairman Pakistan Freedom Movement, while talking to party workers here Sunday. Haroon Khawaja has said that I am Chartered Accountant by profession and still I need many chartered accountants to deal with the taxation paradigm in order to carry out taxation responsibilities in an efficient manner. He said that business community of the country had no role in formulating economic and taxation policies and their recommendations had no weightage in the domain of economy and taxation. He alleged that business community of Pakistan was being humiliated by the tax officers and termed them thieves and corrupts. He said that government officers were paid salaries from the revenue collected from business community through taxation. He said that the government should formulate such taxation policies which are convenient, efficient and ensure business-friendly atmosphere. He said that tax officials should be polite in dealing with business community. Tax authorities should broaden the base of taxation rather than using harassment tactics. He said that the rate of tax collection by the Taxation Department was extremely low as withholding tax was the major source of revenue. He said that we should develop tax culture which should ensure to broaden the tax net, preservation of dignity of business community, honest and efficient system of collection. He said that the government should create conducive atmosphere for maintenance of self-respect and honour of business community as it would be instrumental in raising the rate of tax collection in the country.