(Kindly dont delete my story as it may help readers)
It appears that we Pakistanis live in our homeland with just one aim of undergoing one agony after another meted out to us by our corrupt government and coercive system. I have been filer of income tax return for many years. However, my name comes in and goes out of the active tax payers list every now and then with no reason intimated to me. Initially my name went out of active tax payers list in March 2015 resulting in imposition of non-filer rates on me by my banks. As I ran from nook to corner, I came to know that I had filed my tax ‘physically’ and since it was required to be filed ‘electronically’, my name had been omitted from the active tax payers list. The needful was done and my name finally reappeared in the list.
As I was finalizing the deal of a plot sale in August, 2015, a crude shock came my way that my name was not there in the tax filers list again resulting in incidence of extra income tax on sale proceeds. This time, after running from pillar to post, I came to know that I had attached bank tax deduction certificate which had to be sent ‘electronically’ in order to enable my name to appear in the tax payers list. Finally, it was done and the FBR took many weeks to
update my name into its list.
My income tax return for 2015 was filed on 1st October, 2015. As I went to get a new car booked on 9th October, I was again informed that my name was not there in the tax payers list and I was required to pay extra tax for being ‘non-filer’.
Incidentally, FBR never bothered to phone or email me on any of the above instances while removing my name from active tax payers list. I sent many emails to FBR official address, Ishaq Dar’s senate address for redressing my grievances but everything fell on deaf ears.
In view of the foregoing, I feel there is no need for filing any tax returns. I also advise expatriate Pakistanis to stay away from investing in a country in which the government is also snatching extortion money on all the transactions.