Islamabad: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has decided to enforce Finance Act 2022 to increase the tax-to-GDP ratio, news sources reported.
The FBR has decided to enforce tax measures to bring more taxpayers into the tax net. In this regard, FBR has inserted two new sub-sections (1DC) and (1DD) in Section 152 of the Income Tax Ordinance. The new measures from FBR will result in the following actions:
Under sub-section (1DC), service charges/commission/fee, by whatever name called, paid by an exchange company licensed by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) to a non-resident person have been brought under the tax net
Under the Finance Act 2022, every banking company will collect this adjustable advance tax at the time of remitting money outside Pakistan on behalf of a person who has completed a credit card, debit card, or prepaid card transaction with a person outside Pakistan
People remitting money to foreign agents/persons and not on the Active Taxpayer List (ATL) will be charged 100% of advance tax
Exchange companies are now required to deduct tax when paying service charges, commissions, or fees to global money transfer operators, international money transfer operators, or other persons engaged in international money transfers or cross-border remittances to facilitate outward remittances
An immediate hike in the general sales tax (GST) on gasoline as a step toward attaining the standard rate of 17%
Further simplification of GST exemptions, including those for sugary drinks and other unjustified exclusions, such as those for exporters, will bring in PKR 60 million
Increasing the Federal Excise Duty on Tier I and Tier II cigarettes by at least PKR 2 per stick, with immediate effect, to generate at least an additional 120 billion in revenue
It is worth noting that the government has set a tax collection target of PKR 7.4 trillion for the current fiscal year, which is already being tested owing to a PKR 22 billion shortfall in October. To make up for the shortfall, the government has extended the deadline for filing income tax returns to November 30.
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