FBR Engages Business Community to Improve Taxpayer Facilitation and Transparency

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) convened a high-level meeting on Monday with representatives from various business associations to strengthen cooperation, enhance transparency, and develop a more efficient taxpayer facilitation framework.

The meeting, aimed at addressing ongoing challenges in tax administration, was chaired by Chief Commissioner Regional Tax Office-1 (RTO) Dr Faheem Mohammad, Chief Commissioner Corporate Taxpayers Office (CTO) Zahid Masood, and Chief Commissioner Medium Taxpayers Office (MTO) Aftab Alam.

To improve communication and provide better support to taxpayers, the FBR announced the establishment of a dedicated facilitation counter. Additionally, a WhatsApp helpline number has been launched to enable the business community to report incidents of corruption and malpractice directly.

Representatives of the business community emphasised the importance of educating taxpayers about tax laws and procedures. They advocated for consistent awareness campaigns, seminars, and other outreach efforts to help foster a more tax-compliant culture. Business leaders also expressed concerns about recent enforcement actions related to Point-of-Sale (PoS) violations, suggesting that closer collaboration between FBR and trade bodies could help address compliance issues more effectively.

Dr Faheem Mohammad underlined the ongoing problem of tax evasion and highlighted the need for businesses to play an active role in curbing corrupt practices. Zahid Masood reiterated FBR’s intention to streamline processes and eliminate unnecessary barriers for traders, making it easier to fulfil tax obligations. Aftab Alam stressed the importance of building a strong, cooperative relationship between FBR and its stakeholders to ensure a transparent and trust-based tax system.