The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has announced significant changes to its operations, including daily updates to the Active Taxpayer List (ATL) of Income Tax filers, a shift from the previous weekly updates. This change, effective immediately, is part of amendments to the Income Tax Rules, 2002, as notified by SRO 1638(I)/2024 on October 18, 2024.
The amendments aim to encourage non-filers to join the tax net by allowing taxpayers who file returns after the due date to be included in the ATL upon payment of a surcharge specified in Section 182A of the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
In a major restructuring under the FBR’s Transformation Plan, approved by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the enforcement powers of the Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) Customs have been significantly reduced. The Directorate will now focus solely on intelligence-related tasks, with enforcement responsibilities transferred to the newly established Director General of Customs Enforcement in Islamabad.
Customs Intelligence will no longer conduct enforcement actions on roads nationwide and will only perform sting operations in exceptional cases, requiring post facto approval from the Member Customs within two days of completion. The Director General of Customs Enforcement will now oversee anti-smuggling activities and establish check posts at key locations, including the River Indus connections and entry and exit points.
FBR Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial stated that this restructuring plan separates intelligence and enforcement functions, assigning the latter to the DG Enforcement. This move aims to enhance the effectiveness of anti-smuggling efforts and other enforcement-related activities.
Following the prime minister’s directive, Customs Intelligence officers are now prohibited from stopping or releasing consignments and conducting raids or sting operations. Additionally, they are barred from interfering with imports and exports cleared under the “WEBCO” system. As part of this transition, Customs Intelligence offices in Rawalpindi, Multan, Hyderabad, and Gwadar have already been closed, with plans to shut down remaining offices across the country within the next 10 to 15 days.
