LAHORE – Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) is considering the development of amobile app to file online return with greater convenience.
The Board, besides taking numerous steps to achieve the objective, wouldalso ensure integration of databases like National Database andRegistration Authority (NADRA), Provincial Revenue Authorities, Excise andTaxation Departments, Utility Companies and Land Registering Authoritieswith that of FBR.
The official sources on Sunday said this would be done in a way that a360-degree view of an economic profile of a taxpayer/non-taxpayer isdeveloped.
Listing other measures adopted under innovative strategy, the sources saidthe FBR would focus on Mapping Big Businesses and Services (MBBS).
The focus would be on four big and flourishing businesses including privatehospitals, diagnostics, labs, pharmacies eateries & food outlets, bakersand wedding halls.
In the entertainment sector, the domains would be event management,professionals linked with showbiz, sports, drama, film, music, and theatre,amusement parks & facilities, private educational institutions, especiallyjoint ventures with international universities.
The sources said real estate sector would also be focused as it haswitnessed countless transactions each year. The FBR intends to gatherinvestors data, identify unregistered persons and ensure that due tax ispaid by them.
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Pakistan has also signed Multilateral Convention on Mutual AdministrativeAssistance in tax matters (the Multilateral Convention) along with 126other countries enabling Pakistan to obtain financial data of Pakistaninational in three ways including Exchange of Information on Request,Spontaneous Exchange of Information and Automatic Exchange of Information.
Moreover, Pakistan has signed 65 Avoidance of Double Taxation Agreementswith other countries and under these bilateral arrangements, informationmay be exchanged with treaty partners on a bilateral basis.
Pakistan has also signed a Multilateral Competent Authority Agreement(MCAA). FBR has successfully exchanged information with 39 jurisdictions inSeptember 2018. The number of exchange partners is likely to increase in2019 and onwards.
Any information exchanged with any partner jurisdiction under any of theabove frameworks can be used for purposes of broadening of the tax base.
