Govt contemplates data integration ordinance to enhance tax base

The caretaker government is deliberating the possibility of issuing an ordinance to compel federal and provincial institutions to share data consistently with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) for fair tax assessments.

Around 126 departments currently do not share data effectively with the FBR, hindering effective tax evaluation and prompting discussions about potential data integration through an ordinance.

The Ministry of Information Technology will aid in creating an integrated data portal. However, challenges remain in converting this data into taxable information.

Caretaker Minister for Finance Dr Shamshad Akhtar has directed the FBR to conduct field visits for tax base expansion.

The FBR possesses data on 7.6 million registered taxpayers, but the number of active taxpayers falls short. Data cleansing is required to broaden the tax base.

Dr Akhtar emphasized modernizing fiscal systems using technology to enhance revenue collection and spur economic growth.