Today, 12/01, I caught a nice 44 incher that just didn’t want to give up the fight.  Particularly after the first netting attempt failed.  I’m holding mine up more horizontal in the pic below (I think it makes for a better pic).  That’s two good Muskies in as many days so, I believe the change in tactics mentioned before is working.  Looking forward to going back out the next few days as well as the weather looks good and TRL took some time off. (Sorry Cory)

First, I’ll just say that while you can fish from canoes and kayaks, they are not the best fishing platforms.  Yes, you can travel into the faster, rocky water but, you are limited in that you really don’t want to move around in one very much.  Casting is limited to what is in front of you, and to cast anywhere else, you have to turn the whole boat.  One other upside is that one person can handle them and you don’t need a truck or trailer to haul it.

Inflatable pontoons are similar to canoes and kayaks.  But they do have more benefits.  Deflated, they are easier to haul around and they also have nice storage on either side and sometimes behind you.  I also feel they are better in the faster, rocky waters.  They are a wider, more stable platform and will bounce off of the rocks better.

Drift boats are more of a proper boat than the aforementioned craft.  You can stand up and move around in them where as this is not very possible in the others.  The bad part is they are pricey and need a trailer to haul around.  A boat that requires a trailer will limit your options as to where you can put into the water at.  Also, a boat this size would really benefit from some kind of engine to move it but with the transom three feet up in the air, this isn’t realistic.

Then there are jonboats.  From a fishing point of view, these are the best platform to fish from.  They have room to move around in as well as being able to add an outboard motor. But, of course, there are downsides as well.  All but some of the smaller ones will need a trailer to haul around.  They are also not well suited to the faster, rocky waters.  Nothing ruins a day like a hole in the aluminum hull of a jonboat from getting into the rocks.

One other type of boat I failed to mention earlier, are the plastic “Bass Buddy” style of boats.  These can take the rocks similar to a kayak and can still be powered by an electric trolling motor or a small outboard.  And they are virtually as fishable as a jonboat which make these a good choice for a single person boat.  A couple of downsides are that you will need at least a truck to haul it and if you should get a hole, they are very hard to repair.

One other thing to keep in mind is that North Carolina requires that all boats that are powered, even with just a trolling motor, must be registered.  Something to think about if you decide that you want to mount a trolling motor on your kayak, “Bass Buddy” or on the side of your canoe.  Click here for more info on all the NC boating rules.

http://216.27.39.103/Portals/0/Boating/documents/VOG.pdf

Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) logo. — File Photo

ISLAMABAD: Conceding a shortfall in revenue collection this year, Federal Board of Revenue Chairman Ali Arshad Hakeem said on Friday that meeting the tax collection target of Rs2.381 trillion depended on the implementation of tax amnesty schemes.

Giving a briefing to Minister of State for Finance Saleem H. Mandviwala, he said the FBR could not achieve the target because performance in the first four months of the current fiscal year was dismal.

He suggested implementation of the amnesty schemes which would yield Rs100bn and help cover the estimated shortfall in collection this year.

Mr Hakeem said that if the amnesty schemes were not approved by parliament, the FBR could hardly manage to collect Rs2,194 billion which would mean a shortfall of Rs187bn by June 2013. This shortfall will further increase budget deficit.

Mr Hakeem said a bill relating to the amnesty schemes was expected to be tabled in the next session of the National Assembly, scheduled to begin on Dec 3.

“We will not introduce the schemes through an ordinance,” he said.

The tax amnesty scheme was first introduced for the stock market through an ordinance for a period of three months and made part of the Finance Act 2012 as part of budget documents.

At the time of calculation of revenue projection for the 2012-13 year, the budget makers have not included the revenue to be generated through amnesty schemes.

Now to make up for the inefficiency of the taxation machinery, the FBR chairman who was appointed from private sector for a contract of two years was looking for the amnesty schemes to raise easy money and avoid criticism from within the tax department over his appointment on the prestigious post.

Citing reasons for the shortfall, including changes in the growth pattern, Mr Hakeem said the number of personal income taxpayers would be increased along with the compliance level.

He said the customs department had collected the data of 2.3 million vehicles registered on fake documents.

He said the chassis no of 311,000 vehicles had been changed and about 450,000 luxury vehicles had been registered on forged documents.

The chairman said the customs department was investigating the matter and had also launched a crackdown.

FBR senior member Israr Rauf said the tax-to-GDP ratio would increase to 13 per cent from 12 if the amnesty schemes were implemented.

But budget-makers had projected a tax-to-GDP ratio at 10pc if the FBR managed to achieve the original revenue target of Rs2.381tr.

The FBR chairman said implementation of the amnesty schemes would help to achieve a tax-to-GDP ratio of only 10pc.

Mr Rauf said only 40pc of registered companies, 25pc of association of people, 28pc businessmen and 68pc salaried class were filing tax returns with the FBR.

He said that 3.1m potential taxpayers had been identified who would be brought into the tax net through the amnesty schemes.

At present, only 1.4m filed tax returns.

The FBR chairman said no tax auditing would take place in future on the basis of balloting.

He called for financial autonomy of his department. The chairman also sought early approval of 100 posts approved by the prime minister.

Which one to use comes down to two things.  What you are fishing for and how much does that lure weigh.  For the FBR, anything shy of Muskies can comfortably be caught on Spinning reels.  For Muskies though, I would use a Baitcaster.   Ultimately, you can use anything you want to but, I feel these are the best choices. For lure weight, the smaller ones are better used on a spinning reel.  With heavier lures, you can have better control with a Baitcaster.

Better control of the cast and lure placement is what makes a Baitcaster favorable to a Spinning reel.  They are also better able to handle larger fish.  Modern reels have been designed so that beginners will have an easier time casting them, compared to some of the old reels.  The old ones, once the spool was released and ready to cast, were totally free to spin and the only control was through your thumb.  A technique not easily learned.  Anyone can cast a Baitcaster and not backlash.  Just crank down on the brake and throw.  Of course, you won’t be able to cast farther than 20 feet.  But if you really want to take advantage of what a Baitcaster can offer, back off the brake and practice spool control with your thumb.  You’ll find that you don’t have to throw as hard, as well as being able to place the lure virtually where you want it every time.  TRL offers Baitcaster casting classes that point out the finer techniques of pitching, flipping and skipping your lure.  He offers this class in between fetching his lure out of the trees.  (sorry TRL, I just had to)

Spinning reels are a good choice when fishing the FBR for Smallies, Bream (or Brim if you prefer) and Crappie.  All of these usually require the use of smaller lures than what you would use for Muskies.  But you say that now you have gotten good with the Baitcaster, you don’t want to go back to a Spinning reel.  Fear not.  There are some good tricks one can use with a Spinning reel that can improve your casting and lure placement.

First, use some good line.  Compared to what is out there now, the old standard of 6-8 lb mono is crap.  Get some 10lb (2lb Dia) braided line.  Another upside to braided line is that it has no “memory” like mono does and will almost eliminate loops on the spool.  Second, don’t close the bail by cranking the handle. Close it by hand. This will give you the ability to close the bail as soon as the lure hits the water and catch those fish that strike as soon as it does hit the water.   The other purpose in doing this is so that you can control the cast in a similar fashion to a Baitcaster.  As the line is spooling off when you cast, you can use your hand to limit how much comes off and thus, were the lure lands.  Again, this will take a bit of practice but will ultimately pay off.

In the end, practice casting with a given type of reel will yield dividends in many ways when out fishing on the FBR.

Snapped a few pics, when we remembered, of some of the fish hauled in this year.

Chances are, the insides of that old reel have never seen the light of day since leaving the factory when it was assembled.  Maybe the occasional shot of Reel Magic or WD40 around the crank handle was the only lube it ever received.  Sorry, but that doesn’t cut it.  You actually need to take it apart, clean it, and if you’re really brave, POLISH.

Looking at the diagram below, the red highlighted parts are where you will find the bearings or bushings.  Along with various plates that slide, these all need to ne cleaned and lubed.  Given the presents of plastic, stay away from petroleum based lubes and go with silicon based.  Grease on gears, oil on bushings or bearings and either on sliding parts (I prefer oil).

Now, if you have decide to do some polishing (it will make it feel better than new) here is the where, what and how.  Remember, if something moves against something else, that’s a good place to polish.  First, you’re going to need a Dremel tool, polishing pads for it as well as some polish.  Simichrome works very well.  You can find it at most motorcycle shops.  The Dremel works great on the flat parts that slide but, not so good for getting inside the bushings.  Use half of a toothpick in your Dremel with a bit of cotton on the end to get into the inside of those bushings.  On the spool axle, tape one end and place it in an electric drill.  Don’t spin it to fast and just use a rag or paper towel with polish on it.  Do one side, flip it over, and repeat.  DO NOT polish surfaces that spin on a bearing.  You want the bearing to spin and not the shaft inside the bearing.

I polished out and re-lubed an old single bearing Quantum and it now feels very close to my near new 5 bearing Abu Garcia.  It’s MUCH better than new.  But be forewarned.  Going through all this is no guarantee that it will all turn out good.  I also have an older 3 bearing Abu Garcia that simply will not get better.

For most baitcasters, spinning reels as well, you can go to the manufacturer’s website and download the schematic for your reel.  With the exception being Zebco (Quantum).  Though, you may be able to find a schematic for them from other sources.  This will help you disassemble and more importantly, reassemble your reel.  Also, polishing will not be as noticeable of an improvement on a spinning reel.  Simply because the line comes off the end of the spool, as opposed to being un-spun off the spool.  You can also search the internet for “supertuning baitcasters” and find some long winded articles about polishing, cleaning and lube.

The FBR will consider taking action if the payments are not received by November 17

Four Pakistan cricketers are being chased after by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) due to unpaid taxes, which amount to 80 million rupees.

A spokesman for the FBR noted that Younis Khan, Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Umar Akmal were the four cricketers who had still not paid their taxes.

“The notices have been served on these four players as they didn’t pay taxes on income they earned from commercials, their annual contracts and other sources which is around 80 million rupees,” the spokesman added.

All four players have until November 17 to pay off their taxes before the FBR start taking action against them.

Earlier this year, other Pakistan cricketers including Misbah-ul-Haq, Mohammad Hafeez, Wahab Riaz, Azhar Ali and Taufeeq Umar had all been warned about not paying off their taxes as well.

The FBR have recently become stricter on collecting taxes from athletes and celebrities.

Pakistan cricketers have one of the highest incomes in the entire country, with some senior players earning around 313,000 rupees, along with match payments of 375,000 rupees for Test matches and 275,000 rupees for ODIs.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have also been targeted by the FBR, whereby an account of theirs was recently frozen until an undisclosed fee was paid off.

No one — from the 99 per cent of Pakistan’s 180 million population that does not pay income tax — is believed to have been prosecuted for tax evasion in 25 years.

ISLAMABAD: Ali Arshad Hakeem has declared war on some of Pakistan’s worst offenders. And they are not the Islamist militants blamed for so many of the country’s woes.

Pakistan’s new tax chief is determined to force a jet-setting elite to pay their fair share, challenging an unspoken consensus among politicians and businessman that writing cheques to the government is strictly optional.

Less than 1 per cent of Pakistan’s 180 million citizens pay income tax and no one is believed to have been prosecuted for tax evasion in 25 years, to the dismay of Western allies who have contributed billions of dollars in aid.

“We will name and shame,” said Hakeem, in his office which overlooks mansions with security guards that belong to members of the privileged class he has vowed to target.

Freezing assets

Hakeem, 49, believes he can inculcate a greater sense of responsibility in the top layer of society through a carrot and stick approach.  To instill a frisson of fear in the biggest dodgers, he is threatening to freeze assets and ban them from travel.

But he is also about to offer a 10-week amnesty that forgives past offenses and only places a small tax burden in the first two years of those who choose to accept.

The scheme is the best Hakeem can come up with given the government’s failure to muster the political will to implement key economic reforms, including widening the tax base.

Pakistan’s Western allies say boosting revenues to forge a more meaningful social contract between the government and its people is just as critical for stability as military campaigns against insurgents.

To tempt them into the programme, tax cheats will only need to pay a flat fee of around 40,000 rupees ($400) for any amount of income they bring in over the next year. The following year, they will have to pay $40 more in taxes.

At the end of the second year, the tax rate will be re-evaluated and could return to normal rates, which run as high as 25 per cent.

The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has profiled more than 2 million offenders, detailing their luxury cars and houses, bank accounts and overseas trips.

Hakeem, the tall, grey-haired head of the Federal Board of Revenue, says he will release the names of offenders to the media.

“It’s like a war,” he said, displaying the profiles of offenders with their faces and names obscured. Foreign accounts, vehicles, trips and properties are listed.  “If this fails, I have to go.”

Some say Hakeem has embarked on mission impossible. Previous government amnesties have been criticised as rewarding tax evaders and punishing honest citizens without doing anything to broaden tax collection.

Deep inequalities

But if Hakeem somehow beats the odds, his campaign could help ease Pakistan’s deep social inequalities.

The wealthy attend lavish dinner parties, drive luxuryfour-wheel-drive vehicles and vacation in the West during the blistering summer heat while millions of poor Pakistanis brave chronic power outages in slums or impoverished villages.

One in five people live below the international poverty lineof $1 a day.

“We’ll eventually get each one of them. We must give people a chance to come and pay their taxes,” said Hakeem.

“It’s a computerised system … We even know what color shirt he (an offender) was wearing when he got on that flight.”  Hakeem says evaders may have their identity cards suspended, although it’s not clear if such action is legal. The cards are required for travel, banking and to validate any license.

The amount of tax collected has been going down in real terms even as the country looks to the West for help.

Britain has pledged to pay $1 billion over five years to upgrade Pakistan’s schools. The US is giving Pakistan’s powerful army more than $1 billion this year to help fight the Taliban. The country also owes the International Monetary Fund $7 billion.

Hakeem’s organisation has already presented some famous Pakistani cricketers, such as former captains Younus Khan and Shahid Afridi, with a whopping tax bill.

But there has been no public demands for wealthy politicians or their millionaire backers to pay up.

History shows that Hakeem faces an uphill battle.

Businessman Jehangir Tareen said when he was serving as a lawmaker, it took him a year to get tax authorities to accept his payment because they were so afraid of setting a precedent for taking cash from the powerful.

“We filed a (tax return) and sent a cheque. They returned it and said, ‘please don’t do this’,” he said. “People who pay tax honestly do not get rewarded.” That year Tareen, a passionate advocate of tax reform, was the only one of 269 federal lawmakers to declare how much tax he paid.

By Pakistani standards, top cricketers earn handsome sums in annual central contracts, endorsements and match fees, with Afridi topping the list. -Photo by AFP

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captains Shahid Afridi and Younis Khan were among four players hit with tax demands totalling more than three quarters of a million dollars on Friday, officials said.

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) said it had issued notices to Afridi, Younis, Umar Akmal and Abdul Razzaq for evading taxes of 80 million rupees ($825,000), ordering them to pay up within two weeks.

“Notices have been served to four players — Afridi, Younis, Razzaq and Umar — as they have not given taxes on their match fees, annual contracts and endorsement fees and they are asked to reply within the stipulated time,” said an FBR spokesman.

Test captain Misbah-ul Haq, Twenty20 captain Mohammad Hafeez, Azhar Ali, Taufeeq Umar, Umar Akmal and Wahab Riaz were all warned over tax evasion in June this year, the spokesman said, but refused to give further details.

Pakistan’s tax revenues are among the lowest in the world at just 9.8 percent of GDP in fiscal year 2010-2011, according to the Asian Development Bank, and less than two percent of the population pays tax on their income.

By Pakistani standards, top cricketers earn handsome sums in annual central contracts, endorsements and match fees, with Afridi topping the list.

Younis, Afridi and Umar are all in category ‘A’ of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s central contracts, earning 313,000 rupees ($3,200) in monthly salaries.

Top Pakistan players also get match fees of $4,000 a Test, $3,800 for a one-day and $2,900 for a Twenty20 international.

The PCB have been in trouble with the FBR in the past

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has frozen the accounts of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after they failed to pay taxes, which accumulate to over Pakistan Rupees 30 million, or approximately US$317,000.

Reacting to the freezing of their accounts, the PCB lashed out at the FBR, stating that they had not followed the proper procedures to take action.

According to the Express News, the PCB owed the FBR Rs 30 million, but after failing to pay, the FBR froze their accounts and recovered about Rs 18 million of which they were owed.

A spokesman for the FBR was unavailable to comment on the situation, and the PCB have branded the FBR’s actions as illegal.

“FBR didn’t serve any notice to PCB before recovering money from PCB bank account and an opportunity of being heard was required before doing such act, the issued Stay Order from Honorable Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenues in favour of PCB recovery of this amount from PCB bank Account is an illegal act,” the PCB said via a statement.

However, this is not the first time the FBR have frozen the accounts of the PCB.

The FBR recovered Rs 70 million in June from PCB accounts in similar circumstances.

Proceedings are currently ongoing at the Appellate tribunal.

Kamran Akmal has been playing for Pakistan since 2002 but does not figure on the tax roll. -File photo

ISLAMABAD: Cricket is big entertainment and now big money as well. And those playing the game hit as many boundaries with the money as they do with the ball.

Though this is not news, details of the FBR’s tax profiles of national cricketers highlight the nationwide tendency not to pay taxes or ignore the paperwork in this regard.

The FBR’s investigations have focused on 21 cricketers who, according to the bureau, did not file tax returns and/or used other loopholes in the system to keep their moolah safe from the prying eyes of tax authorities. The information was collected by the FBR’s intelligence directorate.

In most cases, cricketers have had the tax deducted at source — which means that the tax is deducted at the time they are being paid and it is deducted by the organisation making the payment. In their case, it is the PCB.

However, most citizens whose tax is deducted at source still need to file tax returns. Under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, individuals file income tax returns to reveal all their taxable sources of income.

And those who have more than one source of income but do not file returns are guilty of default and hence can be fined or penalised.

The minimum penalty for not filing returns/statements/wealth statements starts from Rs5,000 and can be as high as 25 per cent of the tax payable in a year. The non-filer will either declare his total income for assessment of tax in a year or tax official will declare it ex-party.

The cricketers investigated by FBR are guilty of not filing their tax returns, which experts feel, indicates that they may not be disclosing their other sources of income where the tax is not deducted at time of payment.

More serious still, six cricketers don’t figure on the tax roll at all — Rana Naveed-ul-Hassan, Wahab Riaz, Asad Shafiq, Tanvir Ahmed, Yasir Arafat and Kamran Akmal.

They have played First Class cricket, and/or for the national cricket team (NCT), for years. For example, Kamran Akmal has been playing for Pakistan since 2002 and Rana Naveed and Yasir Arafat since 2007.

Wahab Riaz, Asad Shafiq and Tanvir Ahmad played First Class cricket before they joined the national team in 2010, 2007 and 2010 respectively. The Pakistan Cricket Board did deduct tax from their remunerations for international matches, tournaments and other related activities. The National Bank of Pakistan did the same with Kamran Akmal, when he was playing for the bank.

But because the six never filed their tax returns, they do not possess a National Tax Number (NTN), without which one cannot even buy a new car in Pakistan.

At the same time, be it those who do not file tax returns or those who do not have an NTN, the tax department has no clue whether these players paid tax on their non-PCB earnings.

Such undocumented earning can come from domestic cricket they may have played for PIA, UBL, HBL, etc, district level clubs or any international cricket played outside of the PCB net such as for English counties including Sussex, Essex and Yorkshire.

For instance, according to the report, Yasir Arafat played for nine domestic and international teams, Tanvir Ahmad for four domestic teams, Asad Shafiq for nine domestic teams, Wahab Riaz for seven domestic and international teams, Rana Naveed-ul-Hassan for 12 domestic and international teams.

Interestingly, however, the tax department has no record of the money any of these cricketers may have earned from commercial international tournaments, such as the Indian and Bangladesh Premier Leagues.

Any income earned abroad and repatriated to Pakistan through banking channels is exempted from income tax but not from being declared. This money has to be declared which these cricketers have not done.

Among the 15 prominent players who are on the tax roll, many did not file annual tax returns for 2010 and 2011, although they may have earned huge amounts in that period from domestic and international cricket. These are Imran Farhat, Saeed Ajmal, Taufiq Umer, Muhammad Umer Akmal, Abdul Rehman, Umar Gul, and Sohail Tanveer.

Imran Farhat and Taufiq Umer have been on the national team since 2001, Umar Gul since 2003, Abdul Rehman and Sohail Tanveer since 2007, Saeed Ajmal since 2008, and Muhammad Umer Akmal since 2009. But they have filed no tax returns though the PCB has deducted tax.

Misbahul Haq, who has served as captain during the current series against Australia, filed only an employer’s statement about his earnings in 2010 but nothing the next year.

Muhammad Hafeez, captain of the T20 matches in the same series against Australia has also behaved similarly.

Senior cricketers such as Muhammad Younus Khan and Shoaib Akhtar have also been guilty of this.

Last but not least, none of the cricketers has filed his wealth statement.

Under the income tax law, those who pay more than Rs35, 000 in income tax in a year, are also supposed to file a wealth statement; this is mandatory.

Captain of the national test and ODI teams, Misbah-ul-Haq has paid at source Rs1.479 million in taxes in 2011, less than half the Rs3.362 million that he paid in 2010.

The incumbent captain of the national T20 team, Muhammad Hafeez has not filed any return, but a tax of Rs1.33 million has been deducted at source from his income as tax in tax year 2011 as against Rs0.351 million in tax in 2010, showing an increase of 278 per cent.

Former captain of the national cricket team, Shoaib Malik, paid Rs1.179 million tax in 2011 as against Rs3.976 million in tax in 2010, showing a decline of 70 per cent.

All rounder and former captain of national cricket team Shahid Khan Afridi paid an amount of Rs6.874 million as tax in tax year 2011 as against Rs3.195 million paid in tax year 2010, showing an increase of 115 per cent.

Former Captain of NCT Muhammad Younus Khan paid Rs1.362 million as tax in tax year 2011 as against Rs1.896 million taxes that he paid in tax year 2010, showing a decline of 28 per cent.

Shoaib Akhtar, the former fast bowler, paid 2.583 million as tax in 2011.

۔— فائل فوٹو

اسلام آباد: پاکستان میں تئیس لاکھ اسی ہزار امیر لوگ ٹیکس ادا کرنے والوں کی فہرستوں میں شامل نہیں ہیں۔

یہ مال دار افراد صرف وہی ٹیکس ادا کرتے ہیں جن کی کسی بھی ادائیگی کی صورت میں موقع پر کٹوتی لازم ہے۔

ملک میں تین لاکھ لوگوں کے پاس نیشنل ٹیکس نمبر تو موجود ہیں تاہم ان میں سے صرف چودہ لاکھ نے ہی گزشتہ سال ٹیکس گوشوارے جمع کروائے تھے۔

مختلف ذرائع سے حاصل ہونے والے اعداد و شمار کے مطابق تئیس لاکھ اسّی ہزار لوگ محل نما گھروں میں رہتے ہیں، قیمتی گاڑیاں استعمال کرتے ہیں، وقتاً فوقتاً غیر ملکی دورے کرتے ہیں، مختلف بنکوں میں اکاؤنٹ رکھنے کے ساتھ ساتھ بھاری یوٹیلٹی بل تو بھرتے ہیں لیکن انکم ٹیکس ادا نہیں کرتے۔

نیشنل ڈیٹا بیس اینڈ رجسٹریشن اتھارٹی (نادرا) کے حاصل کردہ اعداد و شمار میں انکشاف کیا گیا ہے کہ ٹیکس حکام ان امیر لوگوں کو ٹیکس دائرے میں لانے کا تکلف بھی نہیں کرتے۔

دو ہزار ایک کا انکم ٹیکس آرڈیننس ملک بھر میں موجود نوّے انکم ٹیکس کمشنروں کو اجازت دیتا ہے کہ وہ ان افراد کی رجسٹریشن کریں جن کی آمدنی پر ٹیکس لاگو ہوتا ہے۔

پاکستان کا شماران ملکوں میں ہوتا ہے جہاں انکم ٹیکس قوانین پرعمل درآمد نہ ہونے کے برابر ہے۔

یہی وجہ ہے کہ امداد اور قرض دینے والے عالمی ادارے اور ملک، پاکستان سے ٹیکس دہندگان کا دائرہ بڑھانے کا مطالبہ کرتے نظر آ تے ہیں۔

تکلیف دہ امر یہ ہے کہ فیڈرل بورڈ آف ریوینیو (ایف بی آر) ان عالمی اداروں سے ٹیکس اصلاحات کے لیے پہلے ہی ایک کروڑ تریپن لاکھ ڈالر لے چکا ہے۔
تاہم آٹھ سال سے جاری اصلاحاتی عمل کے باوجود صورتحال میں زیادہ تبدیلی نہیں لائی جا سکی۔

نادار کی جانب سے چند ٹیکس نادہندگان کی نشاندہی کے باوجود، ملک بھر کے انیس ریجنل دفاتر میں تعینات ٹیکس حکام نے اس معاملے میں دلچسپی ظاہر نہیں کی۔

تفصیلات کے مطابق، غیر ملکی دورے کرنے والے سولہ لاکھ، گیارہ ہزار افراد نے ایک پیسہ بھی بطور انکم ٹیکس ادا نہیں کیا۔

اسی طرح 5٫84٫730 پاکستانیوں کے مقامی اور غیر ملکی بنکوں میں ایک سے زائد اکاؤنٹس ہونے کے باوجود، ان کے پاس نیشنل ٹیکس نمبر ہی موجود نہیں ہے۔

ایف بی آر نے بینکوں کو ایک دن میں پچاس ہزار سے زائد رقم نکالنے والوں پر ٹیکس کاٹنے کا پابند تو کر رکھا ہے لیکن ان صارفین کو ٹیکس کے دائرہ کار میں لانے کے لیے کسی قسم کے نوٹس جاری نہیں کیے جاتے۔

ملک میں تقریباً چھپن ہزار افراد پوش علاقوں میں رہتے ہیں جب کہ بیس ہزار افراد کے پاس بیش قیمت گاڑیاں ہیں تاہم یہ لوگ انکم ٹیکس ادا نہیں کرتے ہیں۔

ٹیکس حکام اسلام آباد، لاہور، پشاور، کراچی اور دوسرے بڑے شہروں کے پوش علاقوں میں کروڑوں روپے مالیت کی زمین خریدنے والوں کو تلاش کرنے اور ان سے انکم ٹیکس لینے میں بھی کوئی سرگرمی نہیں دکھاتے۔

ملک میں 66٫736 انفرادی صارفین بھاری یوٹیلٹی بل تو ادا کرتے ہیں لیکن انکم ٹیکس نہیں۔

ممنوعہ اور غیر ممنوعہ ہتھیاروں کے لائسنس رکھنے والے تیرہ ہزار سے زائد افراد کے پاس این ٹی این نہیں ہے۔

طب، انجینئرنگ، قانون اور چارٹرڈ اکاؤنٹینسی جیسے مہنگے شعبوں میں خدمات انجام دینے والے 25٫130 افراد بھی انکم ٹیکس ادا نہیں کرتے۔

تاہم ان حقائق کے باجود، گزشتہ چند سالوں کے دوران ٹیکس کی وصولی میں اضافہ دیکھا گیا ہے۔

ایک سرکاری عہدے دار نے ‘ڈان’ کو بتایا کہ اس کا سبب روپے کی قدر میں کمی، ود ہولڈنگ ٹیکس کی شرح اورحکومتی اخراجات میں اضافہ ہے۔

Data gleaned from known sources identified 2.38 million people who live in palatial houses, own luxury cars, travel abroad frequently, possess arms, hold multiple bank accounts and pay hefty utility bills, but pay no income tax. — File Photo

ISLAMABAD: There are 2.38 million people in the country who are rolling in wealth, but do not figure on the tax roll at all. They are tax evaders — except for the taxes deducted at source.

Nearly three million people possess a National Tax Number (NTN), but only 1.4 million of them filed income tax returns last year.

Data gleaned from known sources identified 2.38 million people who live in palatial houses, own luxury cars, travel abroad frequently, possess arms, hold multiple bank accounts and pay hefty utility bills, but pay no income tax.

The statistics, compiled by the National Database and Registration Authority, also reveal that tax officials don’t bother to bring these rich people into the tax net, ignoring the fact that one cannot buy a new car without producing NTN.

Section 181 of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001, allows commissioners of income tax to register a person who earns a taxable income and there are about 90 commissioners across the country.

No wonder Pakistan is known for its low level of compliance with income tax rules and international donors want the country to widen its tax base before asking the world for more aid and help.

Ironically, the Federal Board of Revenue has already borrowed more than $153 million from donors for reforms in its tax machinery.

Now after carrying out its reform process for over eight years, the FBR still needs an amnesty scheme to bring these influential people into the tax net.

Although Nadra has identified some potential tax evaders, tax officials posted in 19 regional tax offices across the country did not bother to pursue them.

Even more interesting is the fact that there are 1.611 million people who frequently embark on international tours but do not pay a single penny as income tax.

About 584,730 Pakistanis have multiple accounts in domestic and multinational banks, but do not possess NTNs.

The FBR has bound banks to deduct a meagre amount of less than one per cent at source less tax on cash withdrawals of more than Rs50,000 in a day, but it doesn’t issue notices to bring them under the tax net.

Over 56,000 people live in posh areas and more than 20,000 people own luxury cars, but pay no income tax.

It is a fact that prices of a plot of land are in millions of rupees in posh areas of Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Peshawar, but income tax officers don’t bother to trace the buyers of these plots and make them pay income tax.

There are 66,736 individual consumers who pay large utility bills, but no income tax.

More than 13,000 people have licences of both prohibited and non-prohibited weapons, but they do not possess an NTN.

There are 25,130 people who are engaged in lucrative professions like medicine, engineering, law and chartered accountancy, but they do not pay a single penny as income tax.

Despite these facts, revenue collection has increased over the past few years, but an official told Dawn that it had become possible because of rupee devaluation, rise in the rate of withholding taxes and some increase in government spending.

ملک کے اندر اور باہر خفیہ اثاثے رکھنے والے اڑہتیس لاکھ ممکنہ ٹیکس چوروں کو ٹیکس معاف کرنے کے منصوبے کے بارے میں وزیر خزانہ عبدالحفیظ شیخ کی رائے سننے والوں کا تذبذب کا شکار ہونا لازمی سی بات ہے۔انکا انداز غیر واضح ہے اور وہ بھی شاید دانستہ طور پر۔

انکا کہنا ہے کہ ایسی تجاویزکا مقصد ان لوگوں کو ٹیکس جال میں لانا ہے جنہوں نے بڑی تعداد میں غیرقانونی ذرائع سے حاصل کیا ہوا پیسہ چھپایا ہوا ہے۔وہ ساتھ ہی اس طریقہ کار کوحکومتی پالیسی نہ ہونے کی یاد دہانی بھی کراتے ہیں(کیونکہ اسکے لئے صدارتی منظوری درکار ہوتی ہے)۔و ہ یہ نہیں کہتے کہ اسکا حکومتی پالیسی بننا ممکن نہیں اور یوں اس تجویز کے تا حال زیر غور ہونے کا اندازہ کیا جا سکتا ہے۔بظاہر ، جناب وزیر اس تجویز کی پشت پناہی کررہے ہیں اور چاہتے ہیں کہ ایف بی آر اپنی توجہ بڑی تعداد میں کالا دھن رکھنے والوں پر مرکوز کرلے۔انکا غیر واضح بیان دینے کے فیصلہ کی وجہ آئی ایم ایف حکام کی جانب سے اٹھائے گئے سوالات ہو سکتے ہیں۔

جب ۲۰۰۸ میں پی پی پی حکومت نے پہلی بار ٹیکس چھوٹ کا اعلان کیا تھا تو ساتھ ہی یہ وعدہ بھی کیا تھا کہ اس ضمن میں ٹیکس چوروں سے کوئی رعایت نہیں کی جائیگی۔ مگر وہ اپنے وعدے پر قائم رہنے میں ناکام رہی ہے۔ابھی کچھ ماہ پہلے ہی،اس نے حصص میں سرمایہ کاری کے ایک تازہ رجحان کے آغاز کیلئے اسٹاکس میں سرمایہ کاری کرنے والوں کو چھوٹ فراہم کی ۔

اس چھوٹ کو ایف بی آر ،ٹیکس چوروں کیلئے آخری موقع قرار دے رہی ہے۔اس کے باوجود ٹیکس چوروں کا اس اسکیم سے فائدہ اٹھانے کا امکان اتنا ہی کم ہے جتنا حکومت کا انکے خلاف کاروائی کرنے کا۔آخرکارانکے پاس پہلے ہی ایک قانون موجود ہے جسکے تحت انہیں پاکستان میں عام بینکاری نظام کے تحت بیرون ملک سے لائے گئے پیسے پر ٹیکس کی چھوٹ حاصل ہے۔

یہ قانون ٹیکس چوروں کو اپنا کالادھن سفید کرنے کیلئے کافی سہولت فراہم کرتاہے۔وہ ایک منی ایکسچینج ڈیلر کو معمولی کمیشن دے کراپنے نام پر بیرون ملک سے پیسے منگوالیتے ہیں۔ایک کرپٹ ٹیکس نظام کی مدد سے حکومت کو دھوکہ دینے والے ٹیکس چوروں کو حکومت کی جانب سے رعایت دینا ایک انتہائی پریشان کن معاملہ ہے۔

میڈیا کی اطلاعات کے مطابق ،ایف بی آر اس تجویز کواضافی محصولات بناکر موجودہ مالیاتی سال کا ٹیکس ہدف حاصل کرنے کیلئے اکلوتی کوشش کے طور پر حمایت کر رہا ہے۔البتہ ،اس اسکیم کا ایف بی آرکو معقول مقدار میں ٹیکس وصولی میں مدد فراہم کرنا ناممکن محسو س ہوتاہے ۔۲۰۰۸ میں دی گئی چھوٹ سے محض ڈھائی ارب حاصل ہوئے تھے۔ بھارت میں آج تک اس قسم کی ۱۴ اسکیمز کا اعلان کیا جاچکا ہے مگر کسی کے بھی نتائج حوصلہ بخش نہیں رہے اور وہاں کی خفیہ معیشت آج بھی پو ری آب وتاب سے رائج ہے۔

کیا ہمیں اپنے نہیں تو بھارتی تجربے سے کچھ نہیں سیکھنا چاہئے؟ کالے دھن کی لانڈرنگ میں ٹیکس چوروں کی مدد کرنے کے بجائے حکومت کی جانب سے ٹیکس چوروں کیلئے سخت رویہ اختیار کیا جاناایک بہتر طریقہ ہوگا ۔ایف بی آر انکے بارے میں تمام معلومات رکھنے کا دعویٰ کرتی ہے۔اگر انہیں کسی کو چھوٹ دینی ہی ہے تو وہ ایماندار ی سے ٹیکس ادا کرنے والوں کو دینی چاہئے نہ کہ ٹیکس چوروں کو

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The Pakistan Cricket Board building.—File photo

KARACHI: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has frozen the accounts of the Pakistan Cricket Board due to non-payment of taxes, DawnNews reported on Wednesday.

An amount of 30 million rupees is payable by the PCB.

According to sources in the FBR, various notices were issued to the PCB regarding payment of withholding taxes but there was no response from their side. The FBR has recovered 18 million rupees but 12 million rupees are still left over. Notice for the collection of the remaining amount has also been sent to the PCB, the sources added.

A spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board said here Wednesday that, in the presence of a stay order issued by the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenues in favour of PCB, the recovery of the amount from PCB bank accounts is an illegal act.

“The FBR did not serve any notice to PCB before recovering money from PCB bank account and an opportunity of being heard was required before doing such act,” said the spokesman.