NBR makes ASYCUDA data use mandatory for income tax assessment

The National Board of Revenue (NBR) has made it mandatory for income-tax officials to use data from the ASYCUDA system while determining the tax liabilities of importers, in a move aimed at ensuring transparency and curbing tax evasion.
The initiative is also expected to accelerate the settlement of tax cases and make the tax refund process more transparent and faster.
ASYCUDA (Automated System for Customs Data) is a digital customs management system.
In a press statement on Thursday, the NBR said the move marks a new phase of information sharing between its customs and income tax wings, which will ultimately enhance transparency in tax assessments and reduce unnecessary harassment of businesses.
In a circular issued on March 4, the revenue authority directed its income tax zones to collect information on imported goods and advance income tax (AIT) paid at the import stage from the business intelligence (BI) server of the ASYCUDA system.
Under the directive, tax officials will have to verify the actual value of imported goods and the amount of AIT paid by taxpayers using the BI server while settling tax cases.
According to the order, the data will be used particularly during audit-based case selection, reopening of tax files by inspecting joint or additional commissioners, and correction  of erroneous tax orders by range officials.
Inspecting range officials will collect the relevant information from the ASYCUDA BI server and inform the concerned circle officers in writing if the taxpayer is an importer.
Commissioners and inspecting range officials will be able to log into the server through pre-authorised IP-bound computers.
They will also be required to record the collected information regularly in a designated register.
Initially, assessment officers will not be allowed to access the BI server directly; instead, they will obtain the information through inspecting range officials.
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