Islamabad, Oct 14: FTO Directs FBR to Take Disciplinary Action Against Tax Officers for Mentally Harassing Female Taxpaye. A textbook case of maladministration has been identified by the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) in which tax officers from the Regional Tax Office (RTO) in Rawalpindi subjected a female taxpayer who was registered for sales tax to mental torture.
The FTO’s order against the RTO Rawalpindi states that the taxpayers must have endured a great deal of suffering since 2011. There are several different forms of maladministration present in this catastrophic instance.
According to the case’s details, RTO Rawalpindi recovered the Rs. 1,673,244 sales tax demand without following the proper legal procedures by attaching the complainant’s bank account. A thorough analysis of the entire case raises significant questions about how FBR operates.
The audit officer first created a demand for the principle sum of Rs. 2,552,008 for the tax years 2009 and 2010 based on (i) non-production of records, (ii) differences in income tax and sales tax returns, and (iii) discrepancies in the FBR Web Portal’s E-Folder and the STR declaration.
After the CIR (Appeal) rejected the appeal in a decision dated May 31, 2012, the department attached the complainant’s bank account and recovered Rs. 1,673,244 on June 6, 2012, according to the aforementioned ground (iii). According to the FTO order, the department ruled on the issue once more and lowered the recoverable amount to Rs. 1,674,321.
By virtue of Sales Tax Order-in-Remand No. 40/2023-24, the Assistant Commissioner-IR A&E, Unit-I (City Zone) RTO Rawalpindi has now vacated the previously adjudicated liability of Rs. 1,624,321/- in accordance with CIR (Appeals-Ill) Rawalpindi. The authorized representative disclosed throughout the hearing that he had not received the aforementioned Order-in-Remand.
As a result, he was given a copy, the FTO directive stated. In order to locate the delinquent officers who committed maladministration in this case. The FTO has instructed the FBR to give Member-IR (Operations) FBR instructions to carry out a fact-finding investigation. The RTO, Rawalpindi’s Chief Commissioner will permit a reimbursement of the Rs. 1,673,244 that has already been recovered.
