Islamabad: The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has recommended that the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) establish a structured mechanism for receiving, evaluating, and responding to information provided by citizens regarding revenue leakages, tax-base expansion, and systemic tax compliance issues.
The matter arose from a complaint filed under Section 10(1) of the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, 2000, alleging maladministration on the part of the FBR due to its failure to respond to communications submitted by the complainant.
According to the complainant, he wrote to the Chairman FBR on 18 January 2024, proposing special measures for the realization of taxes allegedly not being charged, particularly in relation to taxable supplies. He maintained that the information in his possession had the potential to generate billions of rupees in additional national revenue.
The indifference of the Chairman FBR prompted him to formally move the Federal Tax Ombudsman who emphasised that citizens who, in good faith, provide information capable of broadening the tax base, identifying revenue leakages, or improving tax administration perform a valuable public service. He noted that such information merits proper institutional consideration, even where it may not fall within the scope of the Inland Revenue Reward Rules, 2021.
