NBR moves to offer tax benefit to FFs

Doulot Akter Mala | Published: April 13, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2024 06:01:00

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has moved to offer special tax facilities to freedom fighters (FFs) to help them maintain cars and facilitate their travel abroad.
As part of the facilities the board is likely to waive Advance Income Tax (AIT) on registration and fitness renewal of cars, owned by freedom fighters or their wives. It is also considering withdrawal of travel tax for the FFs and their wives.
The board has taken the move following a proposal from the ministry of communications (MoC) to offer the tax benefits to valiant fighters who took part in the country's Liberation War against Pakistan in 1971.
Officials said, if introduced, only the FFs and their wives could enjoy the facilities, not their other family members.
They, however, said the proposal would need to be approved in a meeting of the NBR.
Exemption of the taxes will need approval of the ministry of finance before the NBR issues a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) to this effect.
The NBR collects AIT on private car owners on the basis of CC, the fuel bearing capacity of a vehicle. The paid AIT is adjustable with the actual payable tax at the time of submission of tax return. But private car owners having annual income below the taxable income limit have to face trouble in getting refund of the paid tax.
On inroduction of the tax waiver, FFs and their wives, who are senior citizens, would be relieved of any such hassle, sources said.
The facility would also be applicable to cars owned by deceased freedom fighters.
There would be a mechanism to check abuse of the tax benefit so that genuine freedom fighters could enjoy it, sources said.
There would be a list of selected freedom fighters, verified by the concerned ministry, to make sure the genuine freedom fighters were enjoying the facility, sources said.
Loan defaulters or people under trial or making any disputed demand might be barred from enjoying the facility.
Allegations are rife that a section of people have obtained fake FF certificates to seize the facilities offered by the government for them. Â
According to the government data, the number of freedom fighters across the country is 125,000, including 5,338 injured. The number of families of martyred freedom fighters is 2,500 and the number of women freedom fighters 162.