Daily Times

The Hon’ble Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) Mr. Asif Mahmood Jah held a press briefing to discuss the organization’s recent performance and success stories. The event was attended by members of the media, tax experts, and officials from various government bodies.

The FTO began the briefing by sharing some statistics on the number of complaints received in the past year. The organization has received a record-breaking number of complaints, with the total number increasing to 8 thousand. Despite the significant increase in complaints, the FTO has been able to resolve all of them within 40 days, a remarkable feat.

The FTO also highlighted some of its most notable success stories from the past year. One such success story was the resolution of a case related to the steel sector. Through the FTO’s efforts, the issue was resolved in a timely and efficient manner, much to the satisfaction of all parties involved.

He also said that the FTO got implemented tax redressal of media employees throughout Pakistan.

Another success story shared by the FTO was the resolution of a case related to Suzuki. The FTO was able to facilitate a refund for the complainant, bringing the issue to a satisfactory conclusion.

In addition to its successful resolution of complaints, the FTO also announced the upcoming launch of its mobile app. The app will allow taxpayers to file complaints and track their progress, making the complaint resolution process more transparent and accessible to all.

The FTO concluded the briefing by thanking all stakeholders for their cooperation and support. The organization remains committed to providing timely and effective redressal of complaints and looks forward to continuing its work towards a fair and transparent tax system.

He also briefed that The Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO) has taken notice of repeated notices being issued to deceased individuals with zero assets and has instructed the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) to revamp the deregistration system to prevent this from happening. The FTO has directed the FBR to create a new process for deregistering deceased individuals and develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) to address any system-based issues that prevent the deletion of NTN/Registration despite legal orders having been made in IRIS by the relevant IR authority. During a hearing, it was brought to the FTO’s attention that the FBR’s IT system may not be fully integrated, as there appear to be significant gaps in the system that prevent the deletion of NTN/Registration despite legal orders having been made in IRIS by the relevant Commissioner IR. This prompted the FTO to request that the FBR urgently review the entire deregistration system

While Talking to media persons, Almas Ali Jovindah ( Legal Advisor at FTO), briefed well that there is 98% of implementation of cases, remaining two percent are sometimes due to policy matters. He also explained that there is 110 percent increase of the complaints by different sectors of society after Dr. Asif Mahmood Jah has taken the charge as Federal Tax Ombudsman. Mr Jovindah shed light that the legal branch of the FTO have also been proactive since last year and the rising complaints by public are visible success story during last two years. Meanwhile, Mr. Nazim Saleem, MEDIA Advisor emphasized that the role of media is appreciated in disseminating information about the FTO in public.

The Federal Tax Ombudsman is an independent and impartial institution established under the Federal Tax Ombudsman Ordinance, 2000. The FTO is tasked with redressing the grievances of taxpayers against the Federal Board of Revenue and its subordinate tax authorities. The organization strives to ensure that taxpayers receive fair treatment and are able to exercise their rights in a transparent and efficient manner.