FBR Has Authority to Arrest Tax Evanders

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FBR Has Authority To Arrest Tax Evanders

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• Speaking during the meeting of the Senate
  Standing Committee on Finance, the new economic
  czar announced that the powers to arrest people
  would be taken back from a grade-19 assistant
  commissioner but would rest with a committee
  comprising him, the special assistant to PM on
  revenue and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)
  chairman.
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  to take arrest those people who don't give tax.

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• The text of the Clause 203A does not reflect my
  intentions and I have asked the law minister to
  rewrite it, Tarin said while responding to
  criticism over allowing FBR assistant
  commissioner to arrest people on the suspicion of
  concealment of income.

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• The FBR itself cannot do anything against the
  taxpayer and instead, a third party will deal
  with the issue, he added.
• A committee comprising the finance minister, the
  special assistant to PM on revenue and the FBR
  chairman will make the decision on arresting
  people on the charges of tax evasion.

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• The minister further said the government wanted
  to use the powers to arrest only for deterrence
  and did not intend to arrest more than 20 to 25
  people.
• The flurry of tax notices by the FBR has also
  been stopped.
• Tarin offered the standing committee to propose
  changes in the clause but he repeatedly stressed
  the need to retain these powers.

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• There is a lack of tax culture in Pakistan and
  the countrys elites even do not want to file
  their annual income tax returns.
• The government has proposed exempting all
  political parties from income tax while also
  allowing them not to file their annual income tax
  returns.
• I will look into this matter, as I do not know
  about this clause, Tarin said after the meeting
  when he was asked about the issue.

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• Tarin replied that he has already asked the FBR
  to withdraw the proposed legal changes.
• Later, Senator Subzwari raised the question as to
  whether or not finance minister would have enough
  time to decide about matters such as arrests.
• PPPs Senator Sherry Rehman said the committee
  members were of the view that Clause 203A should
  be deleted from the Finance Bill.