Pak Suzuki has been directed by the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) to repay the additional general sales tax (GST) it received from its consumers over the rate set by the government in its latest vehicle policy.
FTO’s Dr. Asif Mahmood claimed during a press conference that Pak Suzuki had collected GST at a rate of 17 percent from its clients at the time of booking, regardless the fact that the government had already announced a reduction, lowering it down to 12.5 percent.
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In response to public complaints concerning officials of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), Dr. Asif stated that the FTO received 636 complaints from the public in the last two months alleging malpractices by FBR officials. He said that 360 of the total complaints were either accepted or sent to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for investigation.
He noted that the FTO office’s mission was to handle taxpayer issues, and that taxpayers who had been harassed by tax officers should file a complaint with the FTO.
He made it clear that any FBR officers who were found to be corrupt would not be relieved. He further stated that no action would be taken against officers who were not engaged in any form of corruption.
“In the last two months, we’ve conducted investigations into 15 tax officers,” he told the reporters, adding that the FBR confirmed on November 18 that the tax department had begun inquiries against a commissioner on the recommendation of the FTO.
He stated that he was working closely with the Chambers of Commerce and Industries of all major cities, as well as attending meetings with tax officials, to guarantee that the complaints were addressed. He stated that he was personally overseeing the cases and that he was working to settle the issues as quickly as possible.
