FBR empowers I&I to access business places to detect tax evasion

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) has given additional powers to the Directorate of Intelligence and Investigation (I&I) Inland Revenue to access business premises for detecting tax evasion and revenue leakages.
The FBR through a notification authorised the DG I&I IR to carry out intelligence activities, access and verification of business premises, access to record/documents or system maintained therein, intelligence gathering on all tax related issues including under-reporting, tax evasion and revenue leakages.
The directorate is authorised to collect information/ record/ documents from any person including taxpayer and third party-relating to financial transactions like investment and expenses, etc., and details of persons who are involved in such activities.
The FBR directed the directorate to process information and take necessary action on the basis of information provided by any other organization, agency or department under the relevant provisions of Income Tax Ordinance, 2001.
Further, the directorate has been asked to utilise the information obtained through establishment of linkages by the Federal Board of Revenue with all major national, provincial other databases to collect relevant information.
The FBR asked the DG I&I to identify cases of income tax evasion and carry out inquiry, investigation, whichever is deemed fit, to retrieve the loss of revenue; to identify, investigate and prosecute cases of tax evasion and/or offences punishable under the Income Tax Ordinance, 2001 and the rules made thereunder.
Further, the directorate is required to share and disseminate actionable information and corroborating evidence, where required, through written reports or information reports or otherwise to authorities or officers in the headquarters and field formations of the Federal Board of Revenue for further proceedings.
The FBR also authorized the DG I&I to process, investigate and prosecute complaints of tax evasion; to process, investigate and prosecute information shared by other agencies and to carry out any other work or function that may be assigned to it by the FBR. – TLTP