Report reveals that more than 100 MPs in Pakistan not paying income tax

A new report has revealed that members of parliament in Pakistan are either not paying income tax or are not registered with the Pakistan Federal Board of Revenue (FBR). 

A Pakistan-based news portal, The News, published a report citing official documents examined by Geo News found that at least 161 of 1,170 MPs in Pakistan have not paid tax on their income nor have filed any tax returns. 

The report further mentioned that these MPs are in violation of tax laws while collectively owning assets worth PKR35 billion (Pakistani rupee). 

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The records show that these MPs are on the 'in-active taxpayers' list' and some are not even registered with the FBR as taxpayers. 

Without taking any name, the report stated that four MPs, who are not active taxpayers, have purchased properties collectively worth millions of dollars in Dubai, Norway and London in the last 10 years. 

The report also mentioned that the Parliamentarians Tax Directory for the fiscal year 2018 did not carry a tax record of around 323 of the total 1,170 MPs. 

As per the report, MPs' Tax Directory for the years 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 are yet to be published. 

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Over 847 MPs collectively paid around PKR1.6 billion in taxes for the year 2018-19, according to the FBR directory. 

The media outlet further mentioned that FBR didn't respond to the queries citing confidentiality laws and also did not entertain multiple requests filed under RTI laws. 

"The Income Tax Ordinance mentions punishment of MPs who are not registered with FBR; it has to proceed against these MPs for not being registered and being filers," Geo News quoted Ashfaq Tola, a tax expert, as saying.