ISLAMABAD: ICCI on Tuesday urged the  government to withdraw professional tax notices to businesses to flourish trade  and investment opportunities in the country.
Fatima Azim, Acting President, said that Union Council Humak has issued
professional tax notices of Rs. 50,000 each to some industries in Kahuta Industrial Triangle, Islamabad which has created lot of concerns in the business community, said a news release issued here.
In this regard he urged the government to withdraw it for giving relaxation to businesses. She said due to Covid-19 pandemic, business activities were already suffering badly, adding, imposing professional tax on the businesses would create more difficulties for the economy.
Reviewing the current situation, Fatima said government should focus on providing tax relief to the business community instead of imposing new taxes to revive business activities and improve economy.
She said to combat the impact of coronavirus, governments around the world had provided various relief packages for business community, but in Pakistan, instead of announcing relief measures, new taxes were being imposed.
It would discourage new investment in the country, he said.
Abdul Rehman Khan, Vice President, ICCI said Federal Bureau of Revenue has started to withdraw cash from the bank accounts of business community under Section 140 of the Income Tax Ordinance without consent of concerned taxpayers, which was a matter of great concern for them.
He said there was a method of inquiry in the law, but giving notices to taxpayers after withdrawal of cash from their bank accounts was unjustified. He urged the Federal Board of Revenue to immediately stop this practice for saving the businesses from unnecessary problems.
It would neither increase the tax net nor meet the tax targets, he said.
Abdul Rehman Khan said former FBR Chairman Shabar Zaidi had stopped raids on business community and withdrawal of cash from their bank accounts to save them from unnecessary troubles.
However, the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) has again resumed this unhealthy practice, which was creating harassment in the business community. He said once cash was withdrawn from one’s bank account, it was very difficult to get it back even if the decision was given in favour of concerned taxpayer.
He said the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the relevant area should be consulted before taking any such action against any business so that such issues could be resolved through mutual efforts.
He appealed to the Federal Minister for Finance Hafeez Sheikh to instruct FBR to immediately stop withdrawing cash from the bank accounts of business community so that they could focus on promoting business activities with confidence which would help revive economy of the country as well.

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