PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Revenue Authority (KPRA) has decided to register an FIR against wedding halls association for “making provocative statements against its employees and issuing threats to them.”

“Through a video statement, the wedding halls association has openly threatened our officers and other staff members. This act is completely unacceptable,” a spokesman for KPRA said in a statement.

He said the KPRA had called a meeting of its management committee to finalise modalities for registering an FIR against the association’s members seen in the video.

The spokesman said if KPRA officers or other staff members were harmed, the association would hold the association responsible and take strict legal action against it.

Authority warns if its staff members harmed, association will be held responsible

“Our officers administer the collection of sales tax on services in the province under the law passed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. Paying taxes is a legal obligation for everyone, and labeling it as “extortion” or claiming the right to charge customers as per their own discretion is a clear violation of the laws passed by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly and will not be tolerated under any circumstances,” he said in the statement.

The spokesman said that those obstructing tax payments or hindering KPRA officers from performing their lawful duties will face strict legal action.

He said that the provincial government, at the request of the wedding halls association, introduced a fixed tax regime alongside the percentage-based regime for wedding halls, with wedding hall management given the option to choose either regime for tax payment.

The spokesman said the decision was welcomed by the association, which also declared that all wedding halls would regularly collect sales tax on services from their customers and deposit in KPRA accounts.

“Given the association’s assurance of tax compliance, such provocative and disruptive statements are incomprehensible and amount to a complete rejection of the province’s laws,” he said.

The spokesman said tax payment was a national duty and the revenue generated was used to fund developmental projects in the province.

“KPRA is mandated to manage and administer sales tax on services under laws passed by the provincial assembly. Its goal is to make Khyber Pakhtunkhwa financially self-reliant, ensuring ample resources for public welfare initiatives. Labeling the efforts of KPRA officers as extortion and issuing threats is an injustice to their tireless work and dedication to the province’s progress,” he said.

The spokesman urged people to pay taxes as a national responsibility for the development and prosperity of the province and ensure that the tax they paid to the service providers has been deposited to KPRA.

“In case of any complaints regarding tax frauds and underreporting, people can directly contact KPRA that will ensure strict and immediate action,” he said.

On Sunday, the wedding halls association warned in a video that it would not pay any tax to KPRA and Federal Board of Revenue if they continued collecting the same in “extortion-like manner.”

It added that its members would welcome KPRA officials with “batons for dishonoring businessmen without any notice and seizing their records.”

The association said that it would approach the court against unjust collections as they’re not ready to become tax agents for the KPRA.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2024