ISLAMABAD (October 14 2003): The Central Board of Revenue (CBR) has made it mandatory for the assessing officers to mention their names and telephone numbers on all statutory notices issued to the taxpayers.
The CBR on Monday in a circular to all Regional Commissioners of Income Tax (RCITs), Large Taxpayer Unit (LTU), Karachi and Medium Taxpayer Unit (MTU), Lahore, stated that it has been brought to their notice that statutory notices neither contain taxation officers' names/telephone numbers nor official seal/stamp are affixed thereon.
The CBR has examined the matter in the light of presentations made by taxpayers and decided that supervisory officers should regularly monitor the performance of taxation officers.
In case, they failed to affix stamp/seal on the notices along with names/phone numbers of assessing officers, the RCITs must take action against the delinquent officers.
The CBR has issued another instruction to the RCITs that assessing officers should promptly respond to the taxpayers' correspondence without causing any inconvenience to them.
Various instances have come to the Board's notice where the assessing officers did not pay heed to the requests of taxpayers. On the one hand compliance of particular letters/notices was being insisted and on the other hand, copies of such letters were not being provided to the taxpayers even after repeated reminders, the CBR maintained.
The CBR observed that the taxpayers have also taken up the matter with the Federal Tax Ombudsman (FTO).
The assessing officers should handle the taxpayer's communication with due importance/care and should respond within a reasonable timeframe.
These instructions should be brought to the notice of all concerned officers to be followed in letter and in spirit. Any lapse on the part of officers should be viewed seriously, CBR added.
