FBR asks taxmen to issue bar-coded notices only

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has asked the field formations to only issue bar-coded notices to the sales taxpayers to avoid any possible misuse of powers by the tax functionaries from December 31, 2021.

According to the FBR’s instructions to the field formations, refer to Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO)’s findings/recommendations dated 1 September 2021 in the subject complaint and to say that FTO, while disposing of the matter pertaining to issuance of out of system manual notices under sales tax and federal excise duty laws, has recommended the FBR to implement e-solution through the PRAL by configuring ST/FED applications under “Iris” not later than December 31, 2021 and to ensure that field formations shall issue bar-coded notices, so as to avoid any possible misuse of powers by the tax functionaries. As the cut-off date for implementation is fixed for December 31, 2021, the field formations are accordingly requested to create an e-Register, wherein, all orders/notices, bar-coded or otherwise wherever unavoidable, shall be serially entered in a chronological order without fail.

Any order/notice served upon a taxpayer without entering the same in the said e-Register, shall entail legal and disciplinary consequences for the respective supervisory, the FBR said. The respective Chief Commissioners-IR may ensure that all notices issued to the taxpayers are be properly fed in the said e-Register and in case of any lapse of non-recording, legal action is to be taken against the supervisory officer under intimation to the Board, the FBR added.—SOHAIL SARFRAZ