ISLAMABAD: The Chairman of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has revealed that 9,000 individuals in Pakistan collectively hold a staggering Rs. 750 billion in their bank accounts but have not paid a single penny in income tax, ARY News reported.
FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial made these startling disclosures regarding systemic tax evasion and concealed earnings during a briefing to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Finance.
The session focused on Pakistan’s new tax operating model.
The Chairman apprised the committee that the FBR has substantially increased its use of data technology.
When the tax authority cross-referenced various databases, highly shocking facts unearthed, he said.
He informed that scrutiny of the data confirmed that as many as 9,000 Pakistanis maintain massive wealth in their accounts while completely evading income taxes.
Furthermore, Langrial revealed that nearly 98.9% of citizens who actually file income tax returns underreport their true income.
Another major contradiction surfaced: 80% of tax filers declare their highly expensive properties in their returns but completely hide the parallel income streams used to sustain or acquire them.
To rectify this alarming situation and curb tax evasion, the Chairman announced that development has begun on a modern, “faceless” tax system.
The biggest advantage of this digital model is that it will eliminate direct contact between tax officials and taxpayers—effectively putting an end to collusion and the misuse of discretionary powers for good.