Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) chief Talal Bugti on Monday claimed that his family was exempt from paying taxes.
“Nawab Akbar Bugti’s family is exempted from taxes and that is why we don’t file tax returns,” said Nawabzada Talal Bugti, without explaining why his family was not supposed to pay taxes to the state.
All this comes amidst calls from different political parties that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) must prevent tax evaders and loan defaulters from entering parliament.
Talal Bugti is the only candidate who, through his nominations papers, informed the ECP that he enjoyed immunity from filing tax returns. He is running from NA-259, Quetta. “The Bugti family runs shops and farms, which are the major sources of their income,” he told the ECP.
Last year, his family earned over Rs 2.6 million from this business. He also has Rs 200,000 as net cash in a local bank while he owned property, jewellery, and several other assets worth millions.
The Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR), however, said that no individual under Part VII of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 was exempted from taxes. The part VII, which deals with exemptions and tax concessions states that there is “no exemption to individuals from any tax imposed under Income Tax Ordinance 2001.”
According to ex-FBR chairman Abdullah Yousaf, no individual was generally exempted from paying taxes. “Any person whose income exceeds Rs 400,000 per annum is liable to pay taxes,” he explained. He, however, did not recall whether the Bugtis were exempted from paying taxes.