Mr. Irfan Iqbal Sheikh, FPCCI President, has appreciated the decision of the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) in favor of a number of complainants against an automobile company; filed against FBR Islamabad for charging the excessive sales tax charged.
He added that this decision sets the right precedence for the consumer protection mechanism; keeping the sellers in check for implementing the right amount of taxes & duties and creating a sense of accountability for the tax authorities.
FPCCI President added that, as per information released by the Office of FTO, 24 complainants were wrongfully charged 17% sales tax for a 998 cc vehicle instead of the applicable 12.5% at that time, i.e. after July 2021 when the Finance Act 2021 had become applicable.
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FTO not only ordered to return the excess amount collected; but, he also declared the practice as a case of maladministration.
It is pertinent to note the President of Pakistan has also rejected an appeal against the aforementioned FTO decision; as the appeals against the decisions of FTO can only be filed to the President of Pakistan; which strengthens the trust in quality decisions given by FTO.
Mr. Irfan Iqbal Sheikh also said that he is also looking forward to the outcome of the meetings between Advisor Income Tax Karachi and the stakeholders to resolve similar and other complaints related to maladministration.
Mr. Irfan Iqbal Sheikh has reiterated the collective sentiments of the business community of Pakistan that FTO provides an excellent forum for complaints against the tax authorities; and, the institution should be protected against all mala-fide and vested interests.