look news india
The Government of Pakistan has decided to impose additional tax on non-filers (those who do not pay income tax), who will now have to pay higher taxes on mobile loads and bundles. ARY News published this news on Friday.
According to reports, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has prepared a scheme against non-filers, which is likely to be implemented from May 15.
The government will impose an additional 2.5 percent tax on non-filers and will also confiscate the SIM cards of those who refuse to comply.
FBR will go to Islamabad High Court
The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has also decided to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) against the PTA and cellular companies, ARY News quoted sources close to the development as saying.
According to the report, FBR has already started consultations with its legal team before filing the petition.
Earlier talks between FBR and mobile companies on instructions to block SIM cards on the grounds of non-compliance failed.
PTA opposes additional tax
The report said that on May 4, the PTA protested against blocking of SIM cards of over 500,000 non-filers. He refused to follow the new tax rules. According to ARY News report, PTA said that a large number of women use SIMs which are registered in the name of their spouse.
The Telecom Authority also raised questions on the process of restoring SIM cards of people coming under the tax net. The authority clarified that they are not legally bound to block SIMs, as doing so would hinder efforts towards digitization and the country's telecom economy.