Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah, the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO), gave the business community assurances on Thursday that the FTO would immediately investigate allegations of excessive harassment of traders moving legitimately acquired and tax-paid items by tax inspectors of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
The newly established Regional FTO office in Hyderabad was officially opened, and during the question-and-answer session that followed, the FTO gave the business community’s members the assurance that they would have full support in addressing and resolving their genuine complaints as quickly as possible.
He guaranteed that the FTO will act right away on any complaints regarding the tax officers’ unjustified harassment of traders moving legitimately purchased and tax-paid products.
In order to receive a fast resolution of their complaints, he recommended the taxpayers to use the opportunity provided by section 33 of the FTO Ordinance, which avoids the more time-consuming process of filing written official complaints. The FTO also addressed the media, informing them of the actions the FTO office was taking to address the complaints made by the harmed complainants.
The FTO Advisors located in Karachi were with him. On this moment, there were also IRS and Customs officers stationed in Hyderabad. The regional FTO office in Hyderabad was established in response to the region’s taxpayers’ demand that it do so in order to address their complaints regarding tax officers’ unethical behaviour.
The FTO then spoke to a crowded audience of members and representatives of trade organisations, including regional tax bars, at the Hyderabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry’s office. He gave the business community the reassurance that the FTO office will step up its efforts to address the problems that taxpayers are experiencing right outside their door, and that the opening of a new regional office was evidence of this resolve.
