FTO begins probe into Rs5.69bn sales tax fraud

KARACHI: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has initiated an investigation into a fraud of Rs. 5.699 billion tax fraud allegedly committed by a tractor manufacturing company on the complaint of a Karachi-based businessman.

In his complaint before the FTO, the businessman has accused the tractor company of causing loss of billions of rupees to the national exchequer by claiming refund on fake documents of farmers under SRO:1248(I) 2020 dated 23-11-2020 & SRO:563(I) 2022 dated 29-4-2022 — a subsidy scheme for the purchase of tractors to farmers and growers to boost agriculture growth.

FTO sources informed The News that the company bought the data of farmers — their CNICs and form-7 of their agriculture lands from revenue officials — and misused it for getting incentive that had never been given to farmers.

According to the official documents, the company had claimed sales tax refund of Rs5.699 billion out of which Rs1.43 billion has been sanctioned to it. The FTO office, in its initial investigation, also questioned the role of large taxpayer office, Lahore, and has directed the company to submit its reply.