Inland Revenue Service (Pakistan)

Last updated
Inland Revenue Service (IRS)
Agency overview
Formed2009
JurisdictionPakistan
Parent department Federal Board of Revenue (FBR)

The Inland Revenue Service (IRS) is a department of the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Pakistan. It was established in 2009 and holds the responsibility for overseeing various aspects of domestic taxation, encompassing Sales Tax, Income Tax, and Federal Excise Duty. [1] [2]

Contents

Background

The IRS was established to manage domestic taxation in Pakistan, which includes the administration of Sales Tax, Income Tax, and Federal Excise Duty. This initiative was a pivotal part of a larger undertaking aimed at enhancing tax administration and boosting revenue collection within the country. The IRS plays a crucial role in the country's fiscal policy by ensuring that taxes are collected efficiently and effectively. [2]

Role and responsibilities

IRS Common Pool Fund Rules

The FBR had formulated the IRS Common Pool Fund rules, initially scheduled to be implemented from 1 March 2023. [3] However, the enactment of these rules was postponed due to the existing fiscal challenges and the broader economic circumstances in Pakistan. [4]

Interaction with the IMF

The IRS has been a prominent subject of deliberations between Pakistan and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The IMF has put forth several tax reform recommendations to the Pakistani government. These recommendations encompassed the removal of sales tax exemptions on fertilizers, pesticides, and tractors, the maintenance of general sales tax (GST) harmonization, and the initiation of reforms in Personal Income Tax (PIT). [5]

Recent developments

Staff transfers and postings

The IRS has witnessed numerous staff transfers and postings in recent years. In May 2022, the FBR (Federal Board of Revenue) executed the transfer and posting of 24 senior officers within the IRS. [6] Subsequently, in August 2022, 21 senior officials of the IRS were also transferred and posted, and among the changes was the appointment of Malik Amjad Zubair Tiwana as the new Member (IR Operations) of the FBR. [7]

Working Conditions

In 2018, IRS officers expressed apprehensions about their working conditions and raised concerns about perceived elitism within the bureaucracy. They emphasized the substandard working conditions faced by Civil Superior Services (CSS) officers and pointed out disparities among various groups, including the Pakistan Administrative Service, Police Service of Pakistan, Customs, Excise and Taxation, as well as Provincial Services. [8]

Related Research Articles

A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer by a governmental organization in order to collectively fund government spending, public expenditures, or as a way to regulate and reduce negative externalities. Tax compliance refers to policy actions and individual behaviour aimed at ensuring that taxpayers are paying the right amount of tax at the right time and securing the correct tax allowances and tax relief. The first known taxation took place in Ancient Egypt around 3000–2800 BC. Taxes consist of direct or indirect taxes and may be paid in money or as its labor equivalent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taxation in the United States</span> United States tax codes

The United States has separate federal, state, and local governments with taxes imposed at each of these levels. Taxes are levied on income, payroll, property, sales, capital gains, dividends, imports, estates and gifts, as well as various fees. In 2020, taxes collected by federal, state, and local governments amounted to 25.5% of GDP, below the OECD average of 33.5% of GDP.

Tax returns in the United States are reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) or with the state or local tax collection agency containing information used to calculate income tax or other taxes. Tax returns are generally prepared using forms prescribed by the IRS or other applicable taxing authority.

Excise tax in the United States is an indirect tax on listed items. Excise taxes can be and are made by federal, state, and local governments and are not uniform throughout the United States. Certain goods, such as gasoline, diesel fuel, alcohol, and tobacco products, are taxed by multiple governments simultaneously. Some excise taxes are collected from the producer or retailer and not paid directly by the consumer, and as such, often remain "hidden" in the price of a product or service rather than being listed separately.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indirect tax</span> Type of tax

An indirect tax is a tax that is levied upon goods and services before they reach the customer who ultimately pays the indirect tax as a part of market price of the good or service purchased. Alternatively, if the entity who pays taxes to the tax collecting authority does not suffer a corresponding reduction in income, i.e., impact and tax incidence are not on the same entity meaning that tax can be shifted or passed on, then the tax is indirect.

The Revenue Act of 1862, was a bill the United States Congress passed to help fund the American Civil War. President Abraham Lincoln signed the act into law on July 1, 1862. The act established the office of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue, a department in charge of the collection of taxes, and levied excise taxes on most items consumed and traded in the United States. The act also introduced the United States' first progressive tax with the intent of raising millions of dollars for the Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Revenue Service</span> Indian taxation agency

The Indian Revenue Service, often abbreviated as IRS, is a civil service that is primarily responsible for collecting and administering direct and indirect taxes. As a central civil service under Group A of the executive branch of the Government of India, it functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance and is under the administrative direction of the Revenue Secretary and the ministerial command of the Minister of Finance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Federal Board of Revenue</span> Division of the Government of Pakistan

The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) (Urdu: وفاقی بورڈ محصولات), formerly known as Central Board of Revenue (CBR), is a federal law enforcement agency of Pakistan that investigates tax crimes, suspicious accumulation of wealth, money-laundering make regulation of collection of tax. FBR operates through Inspectors-IR that keep tax evaders under surveillance, assess taxable incomes and perform special tasks for FBR Headquarters. FBR performs role of collection of taxation in the country from all individuals and businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Excise</span> Goods tax levied at the moment of manufacture rather than sale

An excise, or excise tax, is any duty on manufactured goods that is normally levied at the moment of manufacture for internal consumption rather than at sale. It is therefore a fee that must be paid in order to consume certain products. Excises are often associated with customs duties, which are levied on pre-existing goods when they cross a designated border in a specific direction; customs are levied on goods that become taxable items at the border, while excise is levied on goods that came into existence inland.

Treasury Regulations are the tax regulations issued by the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury. These regulations are the Treasury Department's official interpretations of the Internal Revenue Code and are one source of U.S. federal income tax law.

This is a table of the total federal tax revenue by state, federal district, and territory collected by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service.

The Directorate General of Intelligence and Investigation operates as a department under the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) in Pakistan. While its core function is to serve as the intelligence wing of the FBR, it is actively engaged in the day-to-day investigation of revenue-related crimes and offenses.

Taxation in Puerto Rico consists of taxes paid to the United States federal government and taxes paid to the Government of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Payment of taxes to the federal government, both personal and corporate, is done through the federal Internal Revenue Service (IRS), while payment of taxes to the Commonwealth government is done through the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pakistan Customs</span>

Pakistan Customs is one of the elite cadres of the Civil Services of Pakistan. It is staffed by officers from the Pakistan Customs Service (PCS) which is one of the premier occupational groups among Pakistan's civil services.

Pakistan's current Taxation system is defined by Income Tax Ordinance 2001 and Sales Tax Act 1990 and administered by Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).

The Federal Budget 2013–14 was the federal budget of Pakistan for the fiscal year beginning from 1 July 2013 and ending on 30 June 2014. The budget was presented by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar on 12 June 2013 during a session of the National Assembly. This is the first federal budget presented during the tenure of newly elected Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his cabinet since the change of government following the nationwide general elections held in 2013.

In Malaysia, federal budgets are presented annually by the Government of Malaysia to identify proposed government revenues and spending and forecast economic conditions for the upcoming year, and its fiscal policy for the forward years. The federal budget includes the government's estimates of revenue and spending and may outline new policy initiatives. Federal budgets are usually released in October, before the start of the fiscal year. All of the Malaysian states also present budgets. Since state finances are dependent on money from the federal government, these budgets are usually released after the federal one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Revenue Service (Custom & Indirect Taxes)</span> Central Civil Service under Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs

The Indian Revenue Service , often abbreviated to IRS (Customs&CentralExcise) or IRS (Customs&IndirectTaxes), now called IRS(Customs&GST) is a part of central civil service of the Government of India. It functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance and is under the administrative direction of the Revenue Secretary and the ministerial command of the Minister of Finance. The IRS is primarily responsible for collecting and administering indirect taxes accruing to the Government of India. It is one of the largest civil service amongst the organised civil services in the Indian government and serves the nation through discharging sovereign functions of collection of revenue for development, security and governance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax)</span> Administrative revenue service of the Indian government

The Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) (IAST: Bhāratīya Rājasva Sevā), often abbreviated as IRS (IT), is the administrative revenue service of the Government of India. As a Central Service, it functions under the Department of Revenue of the Ministry of Finance and is under the administrative direction of the Revenue Secretary and the ministerial command of the Minister of Finance. The IRS is primarily responsible for collecting and administering direct taxes accruing to the Government of India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023–24 Pakistan federal budget</span>

The 2023–24 Pakistan federal budget was the Federal Budget implemented by the government of Pakistan for the fiscal year 2023–24. The revised budget was presented to Parliament on 25 June, 2023 after Finance Minister Ishaq Dar introduced new taxes and expenditure cuts. The budget was accepted the next day. The Federal Budget entailed the raising of the Petroleum Development Levy (PDL) and lifting of all restrictions on imports. These revisions came after talks between the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and IMF Director Kristalina Georgieva. The total budget outlay (expenditure) of the new budget was Rs14.46 trillion, 51% higher than the previous year. Federal Revenue for the budget was budgeted as Rs12.163 trillion, with Rs5.276 trillion being transferred to the provinces, leading to a net revenue of Rs6.887 trillion, 36.9% higher than the previous year. The FBR's budgetary target was set at Rs9.200 trillion, 23% than last year's target. The fiscal deficit being estimated at Rs6.923 trillion or 6.54% of the GDP. The budget claimed it added no new taxes, no increases in duties on import of essential items, exemptions of custom duties on certain agricultural goods, and an increase in government wages and minimum wage proposals. The budget included funding for a number of development initiatives to increase the nation's economic growth rate. The original outlays for the PDSP being estimated at Rs. 2.66 trillion for the development programme, which included a Rs. 950 billion federal Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP), that was approved by the Annual Plan Coordination Committee (APCC). The PDSP would later be further increased to Rs. 2,709 trillion, with Rs. 1,150 trillion being allocated to the Federal Portion, an increase of 58.2% from the previous budget of the development program. The government claimed to alleviate fiscal restrictions and boost sector growth, setting a GDP growth rate of 3.5 percent. This is despite claims of the government engaging in "poll politics", seen in the large Federal Development Budget. Ishaq Dar stated that “This budget should not be seen as an ‘election budget’ – it should be seen as a ‘responsible budget’" By the end of the financial year, Pakistan's real GDP growth rate was reduced to 0.3 percent.

References

  1. "Inland Revenue Service formed". September 2009.
  2. 1 2 https://na.gov.pk/uploads/documents/1596521596_925.pdf
  3. Sarfraz, Sohail (February 2, 2023). "FBR establishes IRS Common Pool Fund". Brecorder.
  4. Staff Report (February 4, 2023). "FBR puts hold on implementation of IRS Common Pool Fund rules". Profit by Pakistan Today.
  5. "IMF 'Recommends' Pakistan to Introduce Multiple New Taxes".
  6. Report, Recorder (May 3, 2022). "24 officers of Inland Revenue Service transferred, posted". Brecorder.
  7. Sarfraz, Sohail (August 2, 2022). "Inland Revenue Service: 21 senior FBR officials transferred & posted". Brecorder.
  8. Staff Report (September 2, 2018). "IRS officers share deplorable working conditions, elitism in bureaucracy". Profit by Pakistan Today.