August 05, 2006	Saturday	Rajab 9, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 4: The Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) has advised the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) to collect data from utilities to broaden the tax base.

ICCI President Abdul Rauf, in a statement issued on Friday, said only 1.2 million taxpayers declared their earnings through direct filing of returns, but the number of indirect taxpayers run into millions who were consumers of electricity, telephone and other facilities.

All these indirect taxpayers should be brought into regular tax net by direct filing of returns through imperative measures, he added.

Mr Rauf said according to Wapda record, more than four million commercial connection holders were paying advance income tax in their electricity bills.

The CBR should acquire the record from Wapda and subject these consumers to file their returns, which would increase the number of taxpayers, he added.

He appealed to the Central Board of Revenue chairman to expand the tax net rather than overburdening the current group of taxpayers.

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