The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced to hold an enquiry into the unauthorised disclosure to the media of information about tax returns by country’s parliamentarians.
FBR Chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem told the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and Revenue on Wednesday that the board would form a fact-finding committee to investigate unauthorised disclosure of information to the press and further action shall be taken upon receipt of the committee’s report. He said the report would be presented before the Senate Standing Committee on Finance within two weeks.
Hakeem said all particulars contained in tax return documents or the annexed documents on accounts furnished by a taxpayer to FBR were confidential and no public servant could disclose any such particular under sub-section (1) of Section 216 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001. He said anyone who disclosed any particulars in contravention of Section 216 was guilty of an offence under Section 198, punishable on conviction with fine or and imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months.
“The FBR has requisitioned reports from all field offices regarding unauthorised disclosure of information relating to tax returns filed by parliamentarians and all offices have categorically denied having furnished any such information to the press,” Hakeem said, adding that it was, therefore, being said on authority that the FBR did not disclose any classified information of tax returns of parliamentarians to the press. He said 95 percent issues of the National Assembly, provincial assemblies and the Senate pertained to procedural issues and advisory council would be set up to resolve those issues. The FBR chairman added that disclosure of information of tax returns to the press should be taken as an opportunity, as it would help tax authority to improve its enforcement wing. During the meeting, Senator Kamil Ali Agha alleged that officials of the FBR were involved in disclosure of information relating to tax returns of parliamentarians and said a conspiracy was being hatched against parliamentarians.
