Tax refunds: PAC orders one-year special audit of FBR

ISLAMABAD: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Thursday ordered for special audit of the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) with regard to cases of tax refunds for one year.

The PAC meeting, held with its Chairman Rana Tanvir Hussain in the chair, examined the audit paras related to the FBR and the Ministry of Interior. The PAC chairman expressed annoyance over the absence of FBR chairman when the issue of availing of tax refund by an individual in Multan on a fake claim came under discussion.

He said the matter would not be taken up until the FBR chairman shows up. He remarked that the FBR was taking out money from pockets of the business community and tax refunds had not been made to the textile sectors for the last four years. “The FBR collects the tax but did not give the tax refunds just to show high tax collection,” he added.

A PAC member Khwaja Muhammad Asif remarked that investors had to pay commission to the FBR for getting their tax refunds. Rana Tanvir ordered for special one-year audit of the cases of tax refunds by the FBR and ordered for submitting the report in one month.

While examining the audit of the interior ministry, the officials told the committee that National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) was collecting Rs1,500 additional fee, along with Rs6,000 weapon licence fee. The PAC directed Nadra to adopt legal way for collection of fee and settle the issue in a week. The audit officials told the committee that a law firm was hired without the approval of the law ministry.