'Paradigm shift in tax culture': FBR to launch 'taxpayer friendly' audit framework

ISLAMABAD: Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Syed Shabbar Zaidi announced on Friday that “a taxpayers’ friendly, easy, simple and effective audit framework” will be launched in the first week of the next month.

In a tweet, he said the purpose of the framework will be to facilitate reasonable taxpayers.

“It will be designed to have a paradigm shift in tax culture. Least personal interaction,” he added.

Inshallah, FBR a taxpayers’ friendly, easy, simple and effective audit framework will be launched in the first week of October 2019. The purpose is facilitate reasonable taxpayers. It will be designed to have a paradigm shift in tax culture. Least personal interaction.

— Syed Shabbar Zaidi (@ShabarZaidi) September 27, 2019

It is noteworthy that the FBR has decided to expand the Invoice Monitoring System (IMS) to big retailers to curb tax theft.

After a pilot project bringing required results in Islamabad the invoice monitoring system will be expanded to the whole country, FBR sources had said earlier this week.

The pilot project characterizing installation of an electronic invoice monitoring system will figure out the actual magnitude of the sales in beauty parlours, retail outlets and bakeries.

The decision was taken in a high-profile meeting of the taxation authority with the agenda of the installation of Invoice Monitoring System to keep an eye on actual sales.

The system while generating the receipt for the customer, will automatically send the copy of the billing to FBR office through which the bureau’s sub-offices would not only know the actual sales of the outlet falling in their jurisdiction but would also have the data of sales tax charged on each consumer.

The system has been installed in over 300 restaurants in the federal capital. Its scope will be extended to other eateries, retail stores and salons very soon.

Moreover, web-based Invoice Monitoring System had fully become operational through which the computer systems of restaurants were being integrated with FBR headquarters and the sales invoice data of restaurants was being monitored by FBR on a real-time basis.

The FBR officials expect that the system would help in curbing the widely prevalent tax theft that in the country.