ISLAMABAD – The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) on Saturday submitted a bill in the Senate’s Secretariat seeking amendment to the constitution on taxing agricultural income. MQM Senator Tahir Hussain Mushhadi submitted the bill on behalf of his party.
The bill has sought that all agriculture income over Rs 600,000 annually should be taxed in order to broaden the tax base in the country. The bill seeks amendment in the fourth schedule to the constitution whereby tax on agriculture, hitherto a provincial subject, will become a federal subject to enable the federal government to impose tax all kinds of incomes, including the agriculture sector.
“In Article 70(4) of the constitution, in the Federal Legislative List, in part I, at entry 47 the words ‘other than agriculture income’ be deleted and in entry 47 the following shall be substituted, namely ‘Taxes on all income,” the bill says. The bill, Constitution (Amendment) Act 2011, if passed by the Parliament would enable the government to impose tax on agricultural income and generate Rs 200 billion annually, Senator Tahir Hussain Mushhadi told the media after submitting the bill.
