In response to Federal Tax Ombudsman instructions, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has developed a new method for submitting review petitions and submissions before the President to improve efficiency and streamline the process.
The FBR recently provided detailed instructions to all Chief Commissioners of Inland Revenue, Director Generals, and Commissioners of Inland Revenue (Appeals) to execute this plan. This SOP streamlines FTO case management in the organisation.
The FBR considers timetables while reviewing petitions and submissions. The Legal Wing, which submitted petition filing suggestions to the Board, complained that timetables were not always met.
Some field formations failed to provide the date of FTO findings/recommendations in their Board statements or evaluations. Importantly, the FTO now processes orders and documentation online.
The date of publishing the order online on the FTO portal or the date of receipt via email by the relevant formation’s FTO representative is the basis for any representation or review against an FTO order.
The FBR has clear future recommendations to address these challenges. Field formations shall submit the Review Petition/Representation to the Board at least 10 days before the deadline if the FTO recommendations are unsatisfactory. Please include any supporting papers, properly indexed, and a cover letter noting the date you received the FTO recommendations.
The FBR instructs the FTO representative of all formations to submit all papers, answers, and para-wise comments to the FTO site. The FBR must also receive MS Word copies of all required representations.
By taking these steps, the FBR hopes to improve its FTO order procedures and make them easier for stakeholders.